Could snow trigger earthquakes? A new study in the journal Science Advances says thousands of quakes on Japan’s Noto Peninsula since 2020 could be linked to the region’s heavy snowfall, pointing to the weather correlating with “earthquake swarms.” While the study doesn’t say that climate directly causes the earthquakes, it suggests the rate of the seismic events could fluctuate depending on the weight of water on the surface and the movement of water below. Read more from NBC News.
A while back I had the sombre duty of reporting on #WUHAN#SNOWPOCALYPSE 2024!¹ Little did I know that I would be needing to rename it to WUHAN SNOWPOCALYPSE 2024(A) because yesterday and today has given us WUHAN SNOWPOCALYPSE 2024(B)!
Unlike the first snowpocalypse, which happened in the middle of a national holiday and was thus something more suited to the kind of "we're all in this together" vibe that made surviving it easier, this snowpocalypse was far less a social event and far more an abject disaster.²
Further, the nature of the #snow was radically different. Those experienced in how snow usually works will note strangeness in this #snowfall, like it wasn't actually snow at all. Those who experienced it will also note that the snow merely falling (as in not whipped up by wind) onto bare flesh actually stung a little bit, like someone dropping sewing needles on your outstretched hand from a 2m height. And, too, how often can you hear snowfall. Through closed windows.
To say this was unusual snowfall is to put it mildly.
Most places actually closed their doors yesterday because the snow was so overwhelming. It was difficult to walk and harder to drive and every attempt to clean it up was met with cleared roads and sidewalks being covered within minutes with snow that felt more like sand at the beach underfoot.
More details can be found in the alt text, as usual.
Kashmiris look to heaven, with prayers and hope, as snow stays away through coldest phase of winter
Snowfall is key to water supply and the economy, which is dependent on agriculture. That apart, snow is part of Kashmir’s identity, culture and lifestyle.
“Until the 1980s, we used to get #snowfall from October to April. Now, due to global warming, this precipitation has changed. It has been observed that, instead of snowfall, we get more rain. We get snowfall only for a few days from January to February because average temperatures have increased,” he said.
Well, Clyde were a wee bit disappointing and Aberdeen deserved winners despite being a bit dull.
A real winter warmer sherry bomb.
Lindores, Cask of Lindores. 49.4% abv, NC, NCF, NAS
Dark chocolate and vanilla. Packed full of dark sweet sherried fruit - figs, date, currants. Smooth creamy mouthful with a lasting spicy, liquorice finish.
Football finished and now turning my attention to the wonderful compelling #snowfall on #BBC iplayer.
I MUST NOT sit here sipping whisky and binge-watching until 2am
During the five winters I have lived in Tokyo so far, snow has been an extremely rare occurrence. Almost exactly 2 years ago, we got a memorable dusting of a few centimeters, and I walked around my neighborhood after work to capture some impressions.
All photos taken in the Shimura district of Itabashi Ward in Tokyo, Japan.