2 earthquakes recorded off Oregon coast


Two earthquakes have been recorded off Oregon’s central coast.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Monday the pair of earthquakes struck late Sunday and early Monday.

The first quake was a magnitude 4.9 and was recorded at 7:30 p.m. Pacific about 145 miles west of Coos Bay.

The second temblor was a magnitude 4.8 and was recorded just after 2 a.m. Pacific on Monday.

The agency says it struck near the first one — about 118 miles west of Coos Bay at a depth of less than 15 miles.






An earthquake with an epicenter near Mount Everest on Monday woke up people in Nepal, which is still recovering from last year's devastating tremors.
The United States Geological Survey said Monday's earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4.
Nepal's National Seismology Center said the epicenter was on the border between Ramechap and Solukhumbu districts, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the capital, Kathmandu.
Police said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damages, but since the quake was in the mountains with remote villages, it could take time for any reports to come in.
In Kathmandu, resident fled their houses after they were awoken by the pre-dawn earthquake. People ran out of their houses into the streets, but there were no disruptions in power or telephone services.
Nepal is still recovering from last year's earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people and damaged nearly 1 million houses and buildings.





A 2.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Pacifica on Monday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake hit around 7:36 a.m. with a depth of 5 miles at its epicenter near Sharp Park Road north of Fairway Park.






Global average temperatures over land have plummeted by more than 1C since the middle of this year – their biggest and steepest fall on record. According to satellite data, the late 2016 temperatures are returning to the levels they were at after the 1998 El Nino. 



The fall, revealed by Nasa satellite measurements of the lower atmosphere, has been caused by the end of El Nino – the warming of surface waters in a vast area of the Pacific west of Central America.

Some scientists, including Dr Gavin Schmidt, head of Nasa’s climate division, have claimed that the recent highs were mainly the result of long-term global warming.

Others have argued that the records were caused by El Nino, a complex natural phenomenon that takes place every few years, and has nothing to do with greenhouse gas emissions by humans.

The new fall in temperatures suggests they were right.

Big El Ninos always have an immense impact on world weather, triggering higher than normal temperatures over huge swathes of the world. The 2015-16 El Nino was probably the strongest since accurate measurements began, with the water up to 3C warmer than usual.

It has now been replaced by a La Nina event – when the water in the same Pacific region turns colder than normal. 

This also has worldwide impacts, driving temperatures down rather than up.


The satellite measurements over land respond quickly to El Nino and La Nina. Temperatures over the sea are also falling, but not as fast, because the sea retains heat for longer. 

David Whitehouse, a scientist who works with Lord Lawson’s sceptic Global Warming Policy Foundation, said the massive fall in temperatures following the end of El Nino meant the warming hiatus or slowdown may be coming back.

‘According to the satellites, the late 2016 temperatures are returning to the levels they were at after the 1998 El Nino. 

The data clearly shows El Nino for what it was – a short-term weather event,’ he said.