Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System — Newsletter 01/03/2012 - Newsroom America

Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System — Newsletter 01/03/2012

This daily newsletter provides an overview of the natural disasters that happened in the last 24 hours and response measures for ongoing disasters. GDACS currently covers earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions and floods. The color coding (red, orange, green) is related to the estimated humanitarian impact of the event.

Disaster events in the last 24 hours

GDACS detected the following potential disasters. For up-to-date media coverage, latest maps and ReliefWeb content related to these disasters, please go to GDACS homepage.

Current tropical cyclones (source JRC and Pacific Disaster Center)

Automatic impact report (JRC) IRINA-12 in SWIndian
PDC—1 Mar 2012

Tropical Cyclone IRINA-12 of Saffir-Simpson Category 2 affected 2.3 million people with winds above 39mph (63 km/h) and 939 thousand people with hurricane wind strengths (74mph or 119 km/h). In addition, 131 thousand people are living in coastal areas below 5m and can therefore be affected by storm surge.

Automatic impact report (JRC) FIFTEEN-12 in SWIndian
PDC—29 Feb 2012

Tropical Storm FIFTEEN-12 affected few people with winds above 39mph (63 km/h) and few people with hurricane wind strengths (74mph or 119 km/h). In addition, few people are living in coastal areas below 5m and can therefore be affected by storm surge.

Discussions in Virtual OSOCC

The GDACS Virtual OSOCC is a forum for emergency managers. If you are involved in an ongoing emergency as a local emergency management authority or as an international responder, please provide your information in the GDACS Virtual OSOCC. The following emergencies are currently open.

Madagascar Cyclone Giovanna 14-Feb-2012 12:52 ReliefWeb Situation Reports

More content on ongoing disasters on ReliefWeb.

Colombia: Vendaval e inundacion - Resguardo Inga Yunguillo Mocoa (Putumayo), Santa Rosa (Cauca) Informe de Situacion No. 2 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:28:28 +0000
Source:  UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country:  Colombia

PRIORIDADES / PUNTOS DESTACADOS

Fuertes lluvias y vendavales afectaron viviendas y cultivos en los resguardos indigenas de Yunguillo (Mocoa -Putumayo) y San Carlos (Santa Rosa -Cauca)

Mas de 120 familias requieren asistencia alimentaria y apoyo para reconstruccion de viviendas. Ademas, mas de 290 ninos, ninas y adolescentes no estan asistiendo a clases debido a la afectacion de la escuela, internado y comedor escolar.

Las condiciones geograficas de la zona han dificultado que la asistencia humanitaria se haya realizado de forma oportuna.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (the): Situation humanitaire en Republique Democratique du Congo - Note d?information hebdomadaire a la presse, 29 fevrier 2012 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:47:10 +0000
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)

Pres de 6 000 cas de rougeole et plus de 5 600 cas de cholera rapportes en RDC depuis le debut de l?annee.

? L?extension de l?epidemie de rougeole en Republique Democratique du Congo reste un sujet de preoccupation pour la communaute humanitaire. Selon le Ministere de la sante et l?Organisation mondiale de la sante (OMS), 5 951 cas dont 127 deces ont ete declares depuis le debut de cette annee jusqu?a la mi-fevrier dans 11 provinces de la RDC. Le Kasai Oriental (2 243 cas dont 51 deces), le Katanga (965 cas avec 17 deces), la Province Orientale (761 cas avec 11 deces), l?Equateur (649 cas avec 9 deces) et le Bandundu (591 cas avec 27 deces) sont parmi les regions les plus affectees par l?epidemie. La maladie touche majoritairement les enfants de moins de 5 ans non ou insuffisamment vaccines. L?OMS, le Fonds des Nations Unies pour l?enfance (UNICEF) et les autres partenaires appuient la riposte dans les nouvelles zones de sante en epidemie et renforcent la prise en charge des cas au niveau des structures sanitaires. En 2011, la RDC avait notifie plus de 134 000 cas dont 1 652 deces.

? Depuis le debut de cette annee, l?Organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) a traite 1 091 cas de cholera dont 19 deces dans dix structures de traitement mises en place dans le District de l?Ituri (Province Orientale), en collaboration avec le Ministere de la sante. Quatre zones de sante (Bunia, Gety, Jiba, Tchomia) sont touchees par la maladie dans le District. Par ailleurs, MSF travaille en partenariat avec les acteurs locaux (secouristes de la Croix-Rouge et relais communautaires) sur les volets d?hygiene, assainissement, traitement de l?eau, et la sensibilisation. Dans la Province du Bas-Congo, la tendance est a la baisse dans la Zone de sante de Muanda ou l?on a rapporte 18 cas dont un deces au cours de la semaine derniere. Dans la Province de l?Equateur, alors que la tendance etait a la baisse au cours de dernieres semaines, plusieurs cas suspects de cholera sont de nouveau rapportes. Au moins 12 cas suspects sont signales dans la Ville de Mbandaka, dans la Zone de sante de Lukolela (District de l?Equateur) et a Dongo (Sud-Ubangi). Le manque d?acces a l?eau potable reste la raison principale de cette situation. Plusieurs partenaires demeurent actifs dans la prevention et l?assainissement du milieu. Depuis le debut de l?annee 2012, la RDC a deja enregistre un total cumule de 5 619 cas dont 17 deces pour l?ensemble du pays (zones en epidemie et zones en endemo-epidemie). En 2011, la RDC avait totalise 21 700 cas de cholera dont 584 deces. Des efforts sont en cours pour apporter la reponse et controler cette epidemie notamment grace a un financement de 9,1 millions de dollars americains du Fonds central des Nations Unies pour les interventions d?urgence (CERF).

(extrait)

Democratic Republic of the Congo (the): Bulletin d'information humanitaire - Province du Nord Kivu - N? 08/12 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:31:32 +0000
Source:  UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country:  Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)

Faits saillants

? Besoins d?interventions en eau, hygiene et assainissement dans le Territoire de Walikale

? L?axe Butembo ? Mangurejipa (Lubero) impraticable suite au mauvais etat de la route

? Plus de 8 200 personnes retournees a l?ouest de Lubero en situation de grande vulnerabilite

? Pres de 6 800 personnes deplacees a Beni.

UNOSAT Maps

See all maps produced by UNOSAT.

No content published since yesterday.

ReliefWeb Maps

More maps in ReliefWeb Map Centre.

Mozambique: Climate Prediction Center?s Africa Hazards Outlook For USAID / FEWS-NET - March 1 ? March 7, 2012 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:33:48 +0000
Country:  Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania (the), Zambia, Zimbabwe Source:  Famine Early Warning System Network, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Agency for International Development Syrian Arab Republic (the): Situation Map: Syria Uprising Update 7 (as of 27 Feb 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:28:40 +0000

This map presents a situational update of reported protests and violent clashes in cities and towns across the Syrian Arab Republic as reported between 20th and 26th February 2012, related to the flare-up of violence and the presence of Arab League observers. Also depicted are the cumulative numbers of reported deaths since March 2011 aggregated by Governorate, and Syrian refugee camps that have been opened along the border in Turkey and Lebanon. Further, the spatial distribution of the dominant ethnic/religious communities in the country has been included as background context to the larger social and political uprising occurring within the country. Event locations and figures presented in this map are based exclusively on a number of open reporting sources since the beginning of the uprising in March 2011 and have not been verified on the ground. It is possible that not all incident locations have been depicted. Please send feedback to UNITAR/UNOSAT.

Country:  Syrian Arab Republic (the) Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT Ethiopia: Melkadida Somali Refugee Camp in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia (11 January 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:01:47 +0000

This assessment of the Bokolmanyo refugee camp in the Dolo Ado area of Ethiopia, is based on a quantitative analysis of satellite imagery acquired on 11 January 2012 to provide an updated shelter count. A total of 4,950 tent structures were identified within the camp site encompassing a current area of approximately 2.9km2. This shelter count was obtained using an automated shelter detection computer model with a high degree of confidence and reviewed manually for accuracy with standard image interpretation methods. There are several hundred additional buildings and structures not marked which are likely to be camp management facilities (i.e. medical clinics, latrines, administration, etc.). The camp has expanded by approximately 1600 tents between 11 August 2011 and 11 January 2012. This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field. Please send ground feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT.

Country:  Ethiopia, Somalia Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT Ethiopia: Kobe Somali Refugee Camp in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia (11 January 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:53:37 +0000

his assessment of the Kobe refugee camp in the Dolo Ado area of Ethiopia, is based on a quantitative analysis of satellite imagery acquired on 11 January 2012 to provide an updated shelter count. A total of 4,945 tent structures were identified within the camp site encompassing a current area of approximately 2.3km2. This shelter count was obtained using an automated shelter detection computer model with a high degree of confidence and reviewed manually for accuracy with standard image interpretation methods. There are several hundred additional buildings and structures not marked which are likely to be camp management facilities (i.e. medical clinics, latrines, administration, etc.). The camp has expanded by approximately 1645 tents between 11 August 2011 and 11 January 2012. This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field. Please send ground feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT.

Country:  Ethiopia, Somalia Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT Ethiopia: Bokolmanyo Somali Refugee Camp in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia (11 January 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:46:46 +0000

This assessment of the Bokolmanyo refugee camp in the Dolo Ado area of Ethiopia, is based on a quantitative analysis of satellite imagery acquired on 11 January 2012 to provide an updated shelter count. A total of 4,950 tent structures were identified within the camp site encompassing a current area of approximately 2.9km2. This shelter count was obtained using an automated shelter detection computer model with a high degree of confidence and reviewed manually for accuracy with standard image interpretation methods. There are several hundred additional buildings and structures not marked which are likely to be camp management facilities (i.e. medical clinics, latrines, administration, etc.). The camp has expanded by approximately 1600 tents between 11 August 2011 and 11 January 2012. This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field. Please send ground feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT.

Country:  Ethiopia, Somalia Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT Ethiopia: Buramino Somali Refugee Camp in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia (23 January 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:40:02 +0000

This assessment of the Buramino refugee camp in the Dolo Ado area of Ethiopia, is based on a quantitative analysis of satellite imagery acquired on 23 January 2012. Buramino is a new camp opened on the 30 November 2011 to relieve congestion at a transition center in the region. A total of 1,507 tent structures were identified within the camp site encompassing a current area of approximately 807m2. This shelter count was obtained using an automated shelter detection computer model with a high degree of confidence and reviewed manually for accuracy with standard image interpretation methods. There are several hundred additional buildings and structures not marked which are likely to be camp management facilities (i.e. medical clinics, latrines, administration, etc.). This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field. Please send ground feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT.

Country:  Ethiopia, Somalia Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT Ethiopia: Hilaweyn Somali Refugee Camp in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia (23 January 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:28:32 +0000

This assessment of the Hilaweyn refugee camp in the Dolo Ado area of Ethiopia, is based on a quantitative analysis of satellite imagery acquired on 23 January 2012 to provide an updated shelter count. A total of 4,573 tent structures were identified within the camp site encompassing a current area of approximately 2.3km2. This shelter count was obtained using an automated shelter detection computer model with a high degree of confidence and reviewed manually for accuracy with standard image interpretation methods. There are several hundred additional buildings and structures not marked which are likely to be camp management facilities (i.e. medical clinics, latrines, administration, etc.). This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field. Please send ground feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT.

Country:  Ethiopia, Somalia Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT Madagascar: Situation Update: Damage Review for City of Brickaville, Vohibinany, Madagascar (as of 23 Feb 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:14:15 +0000

There are clear indications of extensive building damages within the city of Brickaville, likely the combined result of strong winds and a storm surge flowing inland along the Rianila River, based on a rapid review of post-cyclone satellite imagery from 18 and 21 February 2012. The main transport routes appear open without significant debris or flood water obstructions; further, the bridge (Rt2) crossing the Rianila River appears undamaged and functional. There are also areas within the city of extensive tree cover loss. As illustrated in the map below, a selection of prominently damaged buildings have been marked to illustrate both the relative distribution and severity of the impact of the tropical cyclone. Note: this product is not intended as a comprehensive damage assessment. It is probable that the total number of destroyed and severely damaged buildings is in the hundreds. This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field. Please send ground feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT. Report scale for A4: 1:15,000; map projection UTM Zone 39S-WGS-84.

Country:  Madagascar Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT Madagascar: Situation Update: Damage Review for City of Vatomandry, Atsinanana, Madagascar (as of 24 Feb 2012) Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:03:54 +0000

There are clear indications of extensive building damages within the coastal city of Vatomandry, likely the result of strong winds and storm surge, based on a rapid review of post-cyclone satellite imagery from 17 and 18 February 2012. The main transport routes appear open without significant debris or flood water obstructions; further, the single bridge crossing the main canal leading inland appears undamaged and functional. There are also areas within the town of extensive tree cover loss. As illustrated in the map below, a selection of over 350 prominently damaged buildings have been marked to illustrate both the relative distribution and severity of the impact of the tropical cyclone. Note: this product is not intended as a comprehensive damage assessment. It is probable that the total number of destroyed and severely damaged buildings in the town is well in excess of 1,000. This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field. Please send ground feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT.

Country:  Madagascar Source:  UN Institute for Training and Research, UNOSAT

You receive this newsletter because you subscribed on GDACS. To change your notification settings, please log in at http://register.gdacs.org. The information of GDACS is provided by the following partners: European Commission JRC, United Nations OCHA, Dartmouth Flood Observatory, Pacific Disaster Centre, USGS National Earthquake Information Centre, European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, Global Volcanism Program and UNOSAT.

Created on 3/1/2012 9:02:49 AM.

Joint Initiative of the United Nations and the European Commission Reproduction authorised provided the source is acknowledged, except for commercial purposes.
©European Commission 2004-2012

Global Volcanism

Java: Some of the Most Volcanically Active Real Estate on the Planet - Wired News

 The island of Java in Indonesia seen in a 2006 MODIS image. Volcanoes and ash plumes are labelled in white. Red squares are thermal anomalies - fires or actively erupting volcanoes.

global volcanism.

One shot from space, 18 potentially active volcanoes. This shot is only part of the island of Java in Indonesia and the dozen-and-a-half volcanoes seen are only a portion of all the volcanoes on the island – the Global Volcanism Program lists no less than 39 potentially active volcanoes across the island. This represents only a fraction of the over 150 potentially active volcanoes (76 of which have had historical eruptions) across Indonesia, giving it the largest number of potentially active volcanoes for any country on Earth – along with one of the highest proportions of people living near active volcanoes.

This NASA Earth Observatory image was taken on June 15, 2006 and shows two of the 18 volcanoes producing ash plumes – Merapi to the west (left) and Semeru to the east (right). Currently, there are six volcanoes on Java listed as on Alert Status 2-3, meaning they are showing signs of unrest above background. The two most active right now are off the image – Papandayan in West Java and Ijen in East Java.

Across all of Indonesia, the last two Global Volcanism Program Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports (for February 1-7 and February 8-14) list 6 volcanoes across Indonesia that have shown signs of changing activity – some have seen their rumblings decline (Ijen, Papandayan) while others have seen no change in their heightened activity or an increase (Dukono, Semeru, Lokon-Empung, Galunggung). This increase in the Alert Status at Galunggung was precipitated by an increase in temperature and color of the summit crater lake – signs that there is likely increased degassing, possibly from rising magma, into the bottom of the lake. All of this activity is perfectly normal for an active volcanic arc like Indonesia, where the Indo-Australian plate is being subducted under the Eurasian plate along the southern edge of the island chain. It also explains the high occurrence of earthquakes in Indonesia as the friction on the subduction builds and is released periodically in the form of seismic events. All in all, Java is one of the most geologically active spots on the planet.

Image: Part of Java in Indonesia, image in June 2006. Image courtesy of the NASA Earth Observatory.

Erik Klemetti is an assistant professor of Geosciences at Denison University. His passion in geology is volcanoes, and he has studied them all over the world. You can follow Erik on Twitter, where you'll get volcano news and the occasional baseball comment.
Follow @eruptionsblog on Twitter.

Global Volcanism

Skywatch: The Moon's Cold Surface Masks a Warm Interior - Twin Falls Times-News

School kids are taught that Earth is geologically “alive” while the moon is “dead.” Certainly, the moon appears static compared to the dynamic and ever-changing Earth. But there may be life in the moon yet. global volcanism

A body’s interior heat comes from radioactivity, heat of formation, and external sources. Radioactive elements emit heat as they decay, which accounts for the lion’s share of Earth’s interior heat. Since, as the leading theory of the moon and Earth’s origins suggests, they comprise similar materials, the moon — with 81 times less mass — should have roughly 81 times less heat from radioactivity.

Planets are born when smaller proto-planets fall together into larger agglomerations, whereupon the energy of their infall gets converted to heat. The larger the body, the more infall it takes to build it, and the more residual heat. Furthermore, heat escapes more slowly from a large object than a small one, just as a larger potato stays hot longer than a small one after they’ve been removed from the oven.

External sources include the sun (which only heats surfaces), major impacts (which ceased about a billion years ago), and tidal heating by neighboring bodies. Since the slightly egg-shaped moon keeps its long axis perpetually turned our way, Earth’s tidal forces don’t vary much (versus, say, Jupiter’s moon Io, which is tidally heated to a state of continuous, global volcanism by its neighbors).

So the moon should have long ago solidified through and through. And yet, slight sloshing in its rotation hints that it may still possess a molten layer surrounding its solid core.

Recent research suggests that the moon’s radioactive elements may have long ago sunk to the core with dense, titanium-rich minerals, which could explain the lack of volcanism at the “living” moon’s surface.

Next column: The phases of the planets.

Chris Anderson manages the College of Southern Idaho’s Centennial Observatory in Twin Falls. He can be reached at 732-6663 or canderson@csi.edu.

Global Volcanism

Cracks on Kanlaon in the Philippines Not Likely to Trigger Eruption - Wired News

 Kanlaon in the Philippines seen in the distance in this April 2010 image.

Before we get started, sorry about the slow trickle of posts lately – it is the mid-semester crunch where everyone is busy, sick or both. Hopefully, this will all begin to clear up soon.

I mentioned via Twitter over the weekend that after a M6.7 earthquake in the Philippines, three 50-meter cracks appeared near the crater area of Kanlaon on Negros. The volcano hasn’t erupted since 2006 but after this earthquake (that also triggered a landslide), PHIVOLCS officials wanted to check to make sure that new signs of a potential eruption hadn’t appeared. So far, helicopter availability has made it difficult to assess the entire volcano, but Antonia Bornas, chief of the PHIVOLCS Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, has said that these new cracks will not trigger an eruption of Kanlaon. However, they have declared the volcano off-limits to climbers until the cracks are fully assess and the risk of additional landslides subsides.

If Kanlaon were to start erupting again, we should expect fairly small explosive eruptions that could potentially generate lahars (mudflows) if the conditions are right (i.e., precipitation). The volcano has erupted frequently in historic times (going back to 1866). However, the Global Volcanism Program does mention a 33-km long avalanche deposit from Kanlaon – the largest in the Philippines. These volcanic avalanches don’t necessarily need to occur when the volcano is active – which makes any cracks appearing on the edifice of Kanlaon all that much more worrisome.

Image: Kanlaon in the Philippines – Joselito Tagarao / Flickr

Erik Klemetti is an assistant professor of Geosciences at Denison University. His passion in geology is volcanoes, and he has studied them all over the world. You can follow Erik on Twitter, where you'll get volcano news and the occasional baseball comment.
Follow @eruptionsblog on Twitter.

Global Volcanism