Earthquakes Further strong aftershocks of the destructive...

Earthquakes Further strong aftershocks of the destructive Jan. 21 temblor in China’s Xinjiang province rocked the remote region. People rushed from their homes as the earth started to shake from the magnitude 5.3 quake. It was followed by 10 weaker tremors.

Earth movements were also felt in northern, central and southern Japan, Nepal, the Indonesian island of Sumba and province of West Sumatra, the Republic of Georgia, coastal Peru, southern Alaska and metropolitan Seattle.

Ozone Damage

The continued depletion of the earth’s protective ozone layer appears to be producing its first adverse effects on wildlife around Antarctica. Researchers at the U.S. Palmer Station revealed that starfish embryos are now developing deformities because of the radiation and die before they are born. Some sea urchins have stopped reproducing, and certain plants have started to create their own “sunscreen.” The discoveries were made by University of San Francisco biologists Isidro Bosch and Deneb Karentz.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the Concorde supersonic aircraft may adding to the destruction of the ozone layer by leaving a fog of sulfuric acid in the airliner’s stratospheric wake.

Andean Floods

Heavy rains pounding Bolivia have destroyed the crops and homes of tens of thousands of farmers, drowned livestock and caused rivers to flood key roads. The rains are the heaviest the country has experienced in nearly 30 years. Some areas have received three times the normal annual rainfall.

Tropical Storms

At least 500 people were missing and 34 confirmed dead on Madagascar in the wake of tropical cyclone Josie, the second to lash the island within two weeks. The vanilla-producing northwest coast received the brunt of Josie’s rage before the storm passed southward through the Mozambique Channel.

Cyclone Gillian whipped up gales and produced minor flooding as it moved ashore on the northern coast of Queensland, Australia.

Royal Eruption

After days of relative quiet, Montserrat’s rumbling Soufriere Hills Volcano shot a plume of ash over the British Caribbean island as Britain’s Prince Andrew toured the abandoned capital of Plymouth. Montserrat has plagued by a constant threat of a devastating eruption for 19 months. Thousands have fled the island or are residing away from their evacuated homes.

Increasing seismic activity around California’s Mammoth Lakes ski resort a prompted officials to issue a moderate level advisory for possible volcanic activity. The last eruption in the Sierra Nevada range’s Long Valley caldera was more than 200 years ago.

Additional Sources: U.S. Climate Analysis Center, Australian Bureau of meteorology, U.S. Earthquality Information Center and the World Meteorological Organization.