Earth events - 18 June

Strong 5.8 earthquake sways buildings in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY — A powerful two-punch earthquake shook western Mexico early Sunday, knocking out electricity and cellular phone service in parts of this sprawling capital. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or fatalities.

LA Times,

15 June, 2013

Initial readings put the quake at a magnitude of 5.9 at around 12:30 a.m., with the epicenter about 90 miles south of Mexico City in the northern part of Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located.

It was felt with marked strength in Mexico City, swaying major apartment buildings, hotels and skyscrapers. Residents scooted from their homes, some in pajamas, or filed out of late-night bars and restaurants. Many remained in the streets long after the quake ended, bracing for aftershocks.

The shaking began gently, paused, then gave a good rattling to buildings in much of the capital.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera, whose inspectors immediately took to flight in helicopters and fanned out through city streets, said there were no reports of serious damage but that several neighborhoods were without electricity. Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong also said there were no reports of damage at the national level.

Mexico is accustomed to such quakes, and a fairly strict system of checks and controls whips into place at the first sign of serious shaking. In 1985, parts of the Mexican capital were destroyed and at least 10,000 people were killed in a devastating quake.

Manam volcano erupts in Papua New Guinea

June 18, 2013 – PAPUA NEW GUINEA - An eruption with a small ash plume was reported this morning and VAAC Darwin issued an advisory. A low level ash plume was also visible on Nasa’s Aqua Modis image at 15:45 UTC. This is the volcano’s second eruption this year. The volcano unleashed an ash cloud in early January. –Volcano Discovery

http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/manam-volcano-erupts-in-papua-new-guinea/

Scientists see heightened activity on farside of the Sun

June 18, 2013 – SPACE – Meanwhile on the farside of the sun, an un-numbered active region is seething with activity, and appears capable of significant eruptions. NASA’s STEREO-Behind spacecraft is stationed over the sun’s east limb with a good view of the hot spot (circled): During the early hours of June 18th, a long-duration flare from this active region hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) over the sun’s eastern limb. However, none of the rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) were in the line of fire. In a few days, the sun’s rotation will carry the active region around the eastern limb and onto the Earth-side of the sun. Then we will have a direct view of the underlying sunspot group and be able to better assess its potential for future flares. Stay tuned! –Space Weather

http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/scientists-see-heightened-activity-on-farside-of-the-sun/