Landslips possible as heavy rain and flash floods to continue in Queensland. Parts of Southern Queensland are being warned there's a "serious risk" of "life-threatening" landslips in steep terrain, with heavy rainfall and flash flooding likely to continue today.
Key points: Rain is forecast to continue in southern Queensland until Thursday Drier and cooler conditions are expected ahead of the weekendAuthorities are urging motorists to steer clear of flooded roads after six rescues on Sunday There's a severe weather warning in place for people on the south-east coast, the Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Maranoa and Warrego, and parts of Central West and Wide Bay. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said the situation was likely to pose a risk to areas recently affected by heavy rainfall.
Six-hourly rainfall totals of 100-150 mm are likely, and locally heavier falls are possible, with thunderstorms. Three homes on the Gold Coast have already been evacuated after a landslip on Cresthill Drive at Wongawallan. Cool front coming Drenching on the Gold Coast Wet week. Australia's lesser-known ecosystems are heading for collapse. Here's what we stand to lose. A damning report has found several Australian ecosystems are so degraded, they are heading toward collapse if we do not intervene.
Of the 20 systems studied by a group of scientists, 19 showed evidence of collapse in some areas and required "urgent action" to prevent them from undergoing total collapse. Ecosystem collapse is what happens when a system is so fundamentally altered that it completely reorders, often resulting in a less diverse group of plants and animals and interactions between them than before. Among those identified in the report in Global Change Biology were some very well-known ecosystems — the Great Barrier Reef, the Murray-Darling Basin, Ningaloo Reef and Far North Queensland's tropical rainforests. But then there were the less well-known habitats like the Georgina gidgee woodlands, the western central arid zones, and the Gulf of Carpentaria mangrove forests. Volcano erupts in Iceland near capital following weeks of seismic activity.
A volcanic eruption has begun in south-western Iceland near the capital Reykjavik following thousands of small earthquakes in the area in recent weeks, the country's meteorological office says.
The Department of Emergency Management said it was not anticipating evacuationsMore than 40,000 earthquakes have occurred on the peninsula in the past four weeksIceland is a seismic and volcanic hotspot The Fagradals Mountain volcano was dormant for 6,000 years, and the Reykjanes Peninsula hadn't seen an eruption of any volcano in 781 years.
Initial aerial footage, posted on the Facebook page of the Icelandic Meteorological Office, showed a relatively small eruption so far, with two streams of lava running in opposite directions. The glow from the lava could be seen from the outskirts of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, which is about 32 kilometres away. There had been signs of a possible eruption recently, with earthquakes occurring daily for the past three weeks. Satellites capture formation of enormous iceberg A74 on Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Tsunami warnings for New Zealand as third strong earthquake strikes. Evacuation orders have been issued for New Zealanders living in some areas on the east coast of the North Island after a third earthquake struck in the area.
Japan earthquake injures 100 people, triggers landslide ahead of 10-year tsunami anniversary. A 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck off the eastern coast of Japan, injuring more than 100 people, leaving almost a million homes without power and causing a landslide.
It struck the same areas hit by the more powerful 2011 earthquake and tsunamiJapan's meteorological agency said it was an aftershock of the earthquake a decade agoThe earthquake shook buildings in Tokyo hundreds of kilometres away It hit the Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, the same areas that were devastated by a more powerful earthquake that triggered a tsunami and killed over 18,000 people just under 10 years ago, causing a meltdown at a nuclear power plant. The latest earthquake was recorded at 11:08pm local time on Saturday at a depth of 60 kilometres in the Pacific Ocean. It triggered a landslide in Fukushima and shook buildings in the Japanese capital Tokyo hundreds of kilometres away. The latest incident did not cause a tsunami, and power had been restored to most homes by Sunday morning, local authorities said.
These satellite images capture the enormity of India's devastating glacier collapse - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Murray River research finds centuries-old 'sand slug' in Barmah Choke. The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) says a "sand slug" accumulating in the Murray River is the result of historic mining practices rather than poor water management.
Key points: The Murray Darling Basin Authority says more than three million tonnes of sand has settled in the Barmah ChokeA recent report suggests historic mining practices upstream were responsibleLandholders have long claimed the choke's capacity issues are caused by bank erosion A report commissioned by the MDBA estimates more than three million tonnes of sand has settled in the Barmah Choke, the river's narrowest stretch, which is located in southern NSW, reducing its capacity by 20 per cent over the past 40 years. Nearby landholders have long claimed the choke's capacity issues are due to bank erosion caused by the river running high. It was a point of contention during the recent drought that Murray River irrigators frequently had a zero general security water allocation. Geoscience Australia expands earthquake monitoring system in NT's Beetaloo Basin. The national agency responsible for Australia's seismographic network is expanding its earthquake monitoring capability in the Northern Territory as the Federal Government continues its plans to expedite fracking in the Beetaloo Basin.
Key points: A fracking inquiry in 2018 acknowledged "considerable evidence" that fracking could cause earthquakesThe inquiry found the likelihood of such an event would be very low and unlikely to result in significant damageScientists will aim to install real-time seismic monitoring before fracking potentially expands in the region The Beetaloo Basin, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin, is one of five Australian gas fields the Government plans to open up under its post-pandemic "gas-led recovery", with the Commonwealth spending more than $200 million since December 2020 to make the immense gas reserve ready for production by 2025. Earthquake on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island leaves thousands homeless as recovery begins. Relief workers have begun clearing the rubble of collapsed buildings on an Indonesian island where a deadly earthquake left thousands of people homeless.
A search agency said at least 30,000 had moved into sheltersSniffer dogs were used in the search for bodies and survivors in MamujuPresident Widodo mobilised military and police to support rescue operations The 6.2 magnitude earthquake killed at least 84 people and was one of multiple recent disasters in Indonesia.
President Joko Widodo visited a flood-hit area on Borneo island on Monday and was scheduled to visit the quake-hit areas of West Sulawesi province to reassure people the Government's response was reaching those struggling after the quake. The National Search and Rescue Agency counted at least 30,000 survivors who have moved to shelters in the city of Mamuju and its neighbouring district of Majene in West Sulawesi, as the Government and aid agencies pooled efforts to meet the survival needs of shaken communities.
Indonesian search and rescue teams find more bodies in debris after earthquake that killed 78. Indonesian rescuers have retrieved more bodies from the rubble of homes and buildings toppled by a strong earthquake, raising the death toll to 78.
Key points: Roads have been cleared and a bridge rebuilt as authorities continue search, rescue and recovery effortsAbout 27,850 survivors have been relocated to makeshift sheltersAuthorities are ramping up coronavirus testing measures and distributing masks to those in the crowded shelters. Indonesia's Semeru volcano erupts spewing hot clouds days after deadly earthquake. Indonesia's Mount Semeru has erupted, pouring ash and smoke more than 5 kilometres into the sky above Java, just days after 49 people were killed in a deadly earthquake on Indonesia's Sulawesi island.
Key points: Semeru volcano has been at the third-highest alert level since it began erupting in MayRescue operations were underway following a magnitude-6.2 earthquakeMany survivors said that aid had not reached them yet due to damaged roads No evacuation orders have been issued so far on Java, the country's most densely populated island, but the National Disaster Mitigation Agency warned villagers living on the mountain's slopes to be alert for ongoing volcanic activity. Agency spokesperson Raditya Jati said people around the river basin on the slopes of the mountain should beware of high rainfall intensity that can trigger lava floods. The volcano spewed hot ash for 3,000 meters in early December, triggering panic among villagers. Aerial photos of Lake Cakora at Brooms Head reveal spectacular 'tree of life' patterns.
An amateur photographer on the North Coast of New South Wales has turned the ordinary into the extraordinary by capturing a series of mesmerising photographs of Lake Cakora at Brooms Head. Key points: An aerial photograph of Lake Cakora has been shared more than 2,000 times on social mediaAmateur photographer Derry Moroney has been taking regular photographs of the lake's changing shapes for six monthsLake Cakora is intermittently open to the ocean at Brooms Head on the NSW North Coast Derry Moroney's recent aerial image has had a huge reaction on social media, with more than 2,200 people sharing the image and over 230 comments.
Sinkhole in Naples, Italy consumes cars in hospital parking lot. Hundreds of Pacific Islands are getting bigger despite global warming. New research says hundreds of islands in the Pacific are growing in land size, even as climate change-related sea level rises threaten the region. Key points: Coral reef sediment was responsible for the increase in land sizeWaves sweep up the sediment and deposit it on islandsHowever some islands are becoming smaller due to coastal erosion Scientists at the University of Auckland found atolls in the Pacific nations of Marshall Islands and Kiribati, as well as the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean, have grown up to 8 per cent in size over the past six decades despite sea level rise. They say their research could help climate-vulnerable nations adapt to global warming in the future.
Norway landslide rescue teams find no signs of life in wreckage as drone shows extent of damage. Rescue teams searching for survivors days after a landslide carried away homes in a Norwegian village have found no signs of life amid the ruined buildings and debris. Six bodies have now been found in the search, police said. Four bodies were discovered on Friday and Saturday, and another two on Sunday. Ground search teams with dogs are being aided by helicopters and drones with heat-detecting cameras on the ravaged hillside in the village of Ask, 25 kilometres north-east of the capital, Oslo.
At least 1,000 people have been evacuated and more may have to leave. Body found in rubble as rescuers search for nine people missing after Norway landslide. Rescuers have found one body while nine people remain missing two days after a landslide in southern Norway swept away at least nine buildings. The operation is still being considered a search for survivorsA search-and-rescue team from neighbouring Sweden is assistingAbout 1,000 people have so far been evacuated from the area.
Another 10 people were injured after Wednesday's landslide in the residential area in the Gjerdrum municipality, about 30km north of the capital, Oslo. "One person has been found. Neighbourhood evacuated as landslide buries houses, destroys buildings in Norway. Ten people were injured, one of them critically, and 21 people remained unaccounted for after a landslide in southern Norway swept away more than a dozen buildings in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.
A large crater was formed by the landslide, with buildings hanging on the edgeRescue operations could take days, as the area remains unstableEarth is still moving in what is one of the largest clay slides in recent Norwegian history The landslide struck a residential area in the municipality of Gjerdrum, about 30km north of the capital Oslo.
Photos of the site showed a large crater with destroyed buildings at the bottom of it. Other buildings hung on the edges of the crater, with one house seen collapsing, TV footage showed. Two more houses collapsed into the crater on Wednesday afternoon, broadcaster NRK reported. About 700 people have been moved from the area so far, police said. Croatia earthquake leaves children among dead, forcing hospital evacuation and nuclear plant shutdown. A strong earthquake has hit central Croatia, destroying buildings and sending panicked people fleeing into rubble-covered streets. Where is Australia's best swimming waterhole? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Australia has lots of ancient volcanoes. But how did they form?
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts, shooting steam and ash kilometres into the sky. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on the Big Island has erupted, sending a massive steam and ash cloud into the atmosphere that lingered for around an hour. The steam cloud shot 9 kilometres up into the sky, authorities saidThere are reports of lava fountains shooting around 50 metres highLocals were warned to watch out for falling ash and hazardous gas.
In north-east Arnhem Land, surfers brave the savage swell for a shot at magical waves. Scott Morrison urged to take action over NSW coastal erosion. The term has been used a lot over the past few days, so what exactly is a' king tide'? - ABC News. The term "king tide" has been used in high rotation as the east coast has experienced wild weather and battering waves over the past few days but it is not technically a scientific term. Key points: Mount Everest officially taller than previously thought as China and Nepal agree on new height - ABC News. China and Nepal have jointly announced a new official height for Mount Everest, ending a discrepancy between the two nations.
Key points: The famous peak is now officially 86cm taller than what had been the most accepted heightThe new height is about 4m higher than China's previous figureThe announcement appears to be as much about politics as geography. One of Australia's most famous beaches at Byron Bay is disappearing, and storms aren't to blame. So what's the problem? - ABC News. Storms or tropical cyclones usually get the blame when Australia's beaches suffer severe erosion. But on the New South Wales north coast at Byron Bay, another force is at play. Over the past six months, tourists and locals have been shocked to see Byron's famous Main Beach literally disappearing, inundated with water and debris. Italy's Stromboli Volcano erupts in 'high intensity' blast - ABC News.
The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has reported an explosion on the top of Stromboli Volcano, found on the namesake southern island near the coast of Sicily. Deaths recorded in both Turkey and Greece as magnitude-6.9 earthquake flattens buildings in Turkish city of Izmir - ABC News. Robotic vessel launched at Beachport to map coastal erosion, better understand effects of climate change - ABC News. 'Detached' reef bigger than Empire State building discovered in 500 metres of water off Queensland - ABC News. Byron Bay emergency beach erosion work begins, but will it be enough? - ABC News. Seismic events that caused rockfall at Gwalia gold mine triggered by explosion - ABC News. Family of three take refuge with dogs and parrots as coastal erosion threatens Wamberal home with collapse - ABC News.
Buildings partially collapse after another night of raging seas on the NSW Central Coast - ABC News. Central Coast houses in danger of collapse as large swell causes unprecedented coastal erosion - ABC News. Erawondoo Hill is added to the National Heritage List to protect its zircon crystals, the oldest minerals on Earth - ABC News. Hobart rain refills 'disappearing' mountain tarn atop kunanyi/Mount Wellington - ABC News.
Tokyo will probably face a massive earthquake in the next 30 years. The only thing they can do is prepare - ABC News. Green turtle rookery on Raine Island brought back from brink, but scientists' fight not over yet - ABC News. Sea level rise will see 40pc of Australia's beaches lost, predicts new study - Science News - ABC News. Earthquake of magnitude 6.0 strikes Indonesia's Tanimbar region. Tropical Cyclone Uesi to bring more severe weather to NSW, properties at Collaroy threatened. Yarrabubba crater in WA outback world's oldest recognised impact structure - Science News - ABC News. Sinkhole swallows bus in China, six dead. The ocean is dramatically reshaping Rottnest, forcing major changes to the WA holiday island.
Saltmarshes vital to keep coastal ecosystems healthy and blue carbon storage in place. Jeannie Baker shares secrets of her trade in her new children's book Playing with Collage. Ancient Indigenous stone-walled fish traps in Gulf of Carpentaria in race against time and weather. Typhoon Lekima kills at least 22, displaces more than 1 million in China. Island holiday destinations in all shapes and sizes that don't require your passport.
California beach cliff collapse in Encinitas leaves three dead. Mount Tangkuban Parahu erupts in Indonesia forcing tourists to evacuate. Philippines earthquakes kill at least eight, injure more than 60 and raze historic buildings. Queensland tsunami modelling shows how coastal communities will be impacted. Great Barrier Reef sediment from small area causing significant harm, but debate rages on best long-term fix - ABC Rural - ABC News. Life in Queensland's Channel Country means you can have a huge flood without any rain - ABC Rural - ABC News. Earthquake panic in WA's north sparks calls for better emergency information. Dozens of aftershocks rattle WA after magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits near Broome. Earthquake in Indian Ocean felt from Broome to Perth.
Stromboli volcano erupts on Italian island, sending tourists fleeing into sea. Drought reveals fault lines in Murray-Darling Basin strategy with dead fish, flooded forests and dying red river gums - ABC Rural - ABC News. Rotorua residents left homeless after steaming, spitting 'mud volcano' opens up in backyard. Darwin CBD buildings evacuated after magnitude-7.2 earthquake in Banda Sea. Jakarta is running out of time to stop itself sinking into the sea. Himalayas environment change 'mind-boggling', leading scientist says. Drastic plan to relocate Port Beach buildings to stop them crumbling into the ocean.
Port Beach buildings on verge of collapse in Fremantle after storms erode Perth coastline. Wild winter weather sees Perth beaches eroded, as destructive winds, thunderstorms forecast. Philippines earthquake turns skyscraper's rooftop swimming pool into a waterfall. Port Fairy's decades-long push for wall to stop seaside tip spewing rubbish into the ocean to rise from the waves. Farmers and activists both casualties of cyber 'war' over animal welfare. Bali's Mt Agung volcano erupts, sending thick ash into the air and forcing flight cancellations. Eyre Peninsula's Murphy's Haystacks are among the oldest rocks in Australia but they're slowly eroding away. Did you wonder what you were looking at? We explain those Lake Eyre shots. A 'seiche' wave can outpace a tsunami and both can be triggered by meteorites and earthquakes.
Researchers uncover 66-million-year-old fish fossils from the day the dinosaurs died. Will climate change be devastating for Kakadu National Park? - Curious Darwin. Ten times more Glass House Mountains rescues than any other Queensland climbing spot. Meet the filmmaker capturing volcanoes at the crater's edge. Indonesian earthquakes trigger deadly landslide as flash flooding kills 50. Dinosaur mass extinction started with volcanoes, but did the asteroid collision make eruptions worse? - Science News - ABC News. Queensland floods: Swollen Flinders River now 60km wide. Dramatic footage shows the terrifying moment an entire hillside collapsed in Brazil dam disaster. Sinkhole forms at Stockland shopping centre car park in Baldivis, south of Perth.
Sinkholes explained: How are they caused and what are the warning signs? Nimbin's 'pimple' rock formations a by-product of ancient volcanic eruption - Curious North Coast NSW. Shifting north magnetic pole forces update to navigation model. Indonesia tsunami survivors, tourists fear second disaster as Anak Krakatau volcano continues to erupt. New Year's Eve landslide leaves at least 15 dead on Indonesia's main island of Java. Australia must be ready to mount major cave rescues, experts warn.
Italy's Mt Etna shakes Sicily after eruptions trigger magnitude-4.8 earthquake. Thousands killed as Indonesia devastated by nearly 2,000 natural disasters in 2018. Indonesian rescuers continue survivor search as death toll nears 400. Vast stretch of underwater Ice Age sand dunes preserved as stone - Science News - ABC News. Magnitude-4.7 earthquake rocks area surrounding Lake Muir in WA's Great Southern. Flash floods and landslides kill at least 27 on Indonesian island of Sumatra. Remembering Meckering: 50 years after one of the most powerful earthquakes in Australia. What would happen if a tsunami hit Sydney? Researchers plot possible impacts.
Coastal erosion on the north-west Tasmanian coast, and planning for the unknowable future.