Earthwatch: A Diary of the Planet

From the Ashes

A threatened species of the hawksbill turtle has been discovered living near Australia’s Monte Bello Islands, a site used by the British for nuclear testing 45 years ago. The Australian Associated Press reported that marine environmentalist Kellie Pendoley discovered hawksbill nests near the rubble left by the atmospheric testing on Trimouille in 1952. Western Australia’s Department of Conservation and Land Management is attempting to bring native species threatened on the Australian mainland to the contaminated islands.

Indian Wildlife Threat

Large numbers of birds, including eagles and buzzards, are being electrocuted as they come into contact with power lines being stretched across India’s Thar Desert in Rajasthan state. Harsh Vardhan, secretary of the Rajasthan chapter of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, told reporters that “these hunter species... are already reeling under human activities like use of pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertilizers.” It was in Pokhran, in the Thar Desert, that India conducted five underground nuclear tests during May.

Ecuadorean Eruption

The Guagua Pichincha volcano, just six miles from the Ecuadorean capital of Quito, spewed explosive spurts of vapor and ash during four days of renewed activity. Vulcanologists say the mountain could erupt violently at any time. A yellow alert has been in effect since Oct. 1 for Guagua Pichincha.

Earthquakes

A moderate earthquake rattled the Peruvian capital of Lima, shaking buildings and causing office towers to sway.

Earth movements were also felt in eastern Cuba, the Central Coast of California, northern and southern Iran, western and northern Indonesia, eastern Romania, the southern Philippines and New Zealand’s North Island.

Atlantic Tempests

A series of devastating storms struck Britain and Ireland, leaving at least four people dead. The most powerful tempest packed hurricane-force winds of up to 100 mph and knocked out power to 70,000 people. Public transportation was disrupted across a wide area. It was the worst storm to strike the British Isles since Hurricane Debbie in 1961.

Pigeon Problem

Iranians who keep pigeons as pets could face prison terms in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where an overpopulation of the birds has become a pest problem. Police in the city, an important Shiite pilgrimage center, say they will begin cracking down on the excessive enthusiasm for pigeons. Authorities have seized more than 2,700 pigeons across the city in recent days. Anyone found in possession of pigeons, or letting them fly, will face between six months and three years in prison.

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Additional Sources: U.S. National Earthquake Information Center and the United Nations World Meteorological Organization.