Japan: the day after the earthquake and tsunami

The scale of devastation becomes clear after Japan's worst earthquake on record and the subsequent tsunami.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2011/mar/12/japan-earthquake-tsunami-in-pictures

ShelterBox earthquake response team arrives in Japan

A response team from Cornish-based aid organisation ShelterBox has arrived in Japan following Friday's
earthquake.

The team has arrived in Tokyo and is to travel to the worst-hit coastal areas
to asses what assistance is needed, the charity said.

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami has killed more than 600 people.
Hundreds more are feared dead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-12722367

Japan earthquake: Aerial footage of Sendai

Aerial footage of Sendai in north-eastern Japan shows an industrial complex
on fire, submerged houses and stranded ships. The area is near the epicentre of the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on Friday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12722960

How do volcanoes affect the climate?

Emissions warm the air, which boosts evaporation, which increases water vapour – and amplifies the warming



When volcanoes erupt, they emit a mixture of gases and particles into the air. Some of them, such as ash and sulphur dioxide, have a cooling effect, because they (or the substances they cause) reflect sunlight away from the earth. Others, such as CO2, cause warming by adding to the the greenhouse effect.

The cooling influence is particularly marked in the case of large eruptions able to blast sun-blocking particles all the way up to the stratosphere – such as Mount Pinatubo in 1991, which caused a significant dip in global temperatures in the following year or two. It's difficult to know for sure that the cooling observed after a particular eruption is definitely the result of that eruption, but examining the average global temperature change after multiple eruptions proves a strong link.
As for greenhouse gases, underwater and land-based volcanoes are estimated to release, in total, around 100–300 million tonnes of CO2 each year, according to the British Geological Survey and the US Geological Survey. That's a large quantity, but only around 1% of the amount that humans release from burning fossil fuel alone.

As a rule, the cooling influence of an individual volcano will dominate for the period immediately after the eruption but the warming impact will last much longer. So the significance of each depends on the timeframe being considered. A very large volcano in 2011 may significantly reduce temperatures in 2012 but slightly warm them in 2100.
It has sometimes been suggested by those who seek to disprove human impact on the climate that volcanoes release more CO2 than human activity. This is simply incorrect. As the British Geological Survey puts it:

"The contribution to the present day atmospheric CO2 loading from volcanic emissions is … relatively insignificant."

Christchurch earthquake: at least 65 dead and 100 trapped in 'darkest day'

Crews work through night to free people after 6.3 magnitude quake, New Zealand's worst natural disaster in 80 years.

Rescuers worked through the night to reach people trapped in shattered buildings after a powerful earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, killing at least 65 people.

The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at lunchtime, when streets and shops in New Zealand's second largest city were packed and offices were occupied. Christchurch was hit last September by a 7.1 magnitude quake that damaged buildings but caused no deaths. This time the quake was deadly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/christchurch-earthquake-65-dead-100-trapped

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12533722

Census Finds Hurricane Katrina Left New Orleans Richer, Whiter, Emptier

The extent of the exodus after the August 2005 disaster canbe gauged by 2010 Census data released yesterday. New Orleanslost 140,845 residents, a drop of 29 percent from 2000. Thepercentage of black population fell to 60.2 percent from 67.3percent. The loss in New Orleans translates into one fewercongressional seat for Louisiana -- now six instead of seven.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-04/census-finds-post-katrina-new-orleans-richer-whiter-emptier.html

Brisbane floods: before and after

High-resolution aerial photos taken over Brisbane last week have
revealed the scale of devastation across dozens of suburbs and tens of thousands
of homes and businesses.

The aerial photos of the Brisbane floods were taken in flyovers on January 13
and January 14.

Hover over each photo to view the devastation caused by flooding.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/infographics/qld-floods/beforeafter.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Brisbane floods: the submerged city in pictures

The Brisbane river peaked at 4.46 metres, just short of record levels. The city centre and several suburbs have been inundated with floodwater with more than 100,000 homes without power.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2011/jan/13/australia-natural-disasters

Brazil landslides' death toll climbs as rescue teams dig for survivors

Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff, is due to visit a string of mountain towns devastated by floods and landslides, as the death toll from the disaster reached at least 361.

Heavy rains on Tuesday night triggered some of the deadliest landslides in Brazilian history, sending mud sweeping through three towns and burying entire families as they slept.

In Teresópolis, a small town about 60 miles from Rio de Janeiro, 146 deaths have been confirmed, but local authorities expect that figure to rise.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/13/brazil-landslides-death-toll-rises

Haiti: One year on

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/haiti-one-year-on-from-quake-2179837.html

Interesting article from the Independent highlighting the impact of the 2010 1 year on and its impact still in a country that is struggling to cope.

Savage Earth

Found this useful website called Savage Earth Online which gives learners information regarding Environmental Hazards. The site provides information on Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis with detailed descriptions and animations.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/index.html