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5 posts tagged australia
Two notable earthquakes this weekend: On Friday, Australia had its strongest quake in 15 years, while Chile was struck by a substantial 7.1 magnitude on Sunday.
Although the USGS reported a 5.6, Australian authorities are widely reporting a 6.1 magnitude temblor. The quake was centered in remote South Australia, and was the largest quake to hit the region since 1902.
Following a strong 5.1 quake centered in its capital city of Santiago on Saturday, a 7.1 struck Chile about 135 miles further south on Sunday.
Damage was widespread but no fatalities were immediately reported. There were initial concerns of tsunamis which ultimately cleared.
Yes, we do believe substantial earthquakes are happening more frequently.
Eastern Australia has been doused by its heaviest rains in 38 years.
Over 5 inches of rain were recorded in the past week, and 75 percent of New South Wales now battles flood waters. Thousands of people have been impacted and more than 2,000 homes have been flooded.
“Australia is in the throes of two consecutive La Nina events, which have contributed to heavy rainfall and flooding affecting much of eastern Australia,” said Aaron Coutts-Smith, of the New South Wales Bureau of Meteorology
Coutts-Smith called this deluge a very rare event.
But here’s the weird part: Flood waters have stirred up millions of spiders and they’re scrambling for higher ground.
The result? The town of Wagga Wagga is nearly blanketed by silky sheets of spider webs.
Local residents say you cannot even walk down the road without swarms of tiny brown spiders crawling up your legs.
Sorry, arachnophobes.
‘Jaws’ is surfing the coast of Australia.
Two men have been killed by a great white shark in the span of two weeks. Both deaths occurred off the coast of Perth city, and happened within 11 miles of each other.
Authorities have yet to determine if the men were killed by the same shark.
Dugongs are mysteriously dying off the coast of Australia.
Four dugongs, who are related to the American manatee, have been found dead since the start of 2011. The latest is another in a growing list of north Queensland marine animal deaths.
Three dead dolphins were found in Gladstone Harbour in May, and more than 40 sea turtles have washed up dead in the harbor since April.
The state’s marine and environment authorities say there has been a 700% increase in the number of turtle strandings in north Queensland compared with last year.
Marine experts believe this year’s cyclones and floods are damaging seagrass levels, which is putting stress on the animal populations.
