Our Daily Planet: Australia's Inland Tsunami and Turtle Smugglers

Each weekday morning, OurAmazingPlanet takes the pulse of the Earth, reporting on natural phenomena and exploration news from around the globe.

Inland Tsunami: Flood waters described as an "inland tsunami" hit the Australian city of Toowoomba, killing at least 8 people and leaving 72 others missing.

La Nina Confusion: The heavy rains and floods in Australia can be blamed on La Nina. But the recent wet weather in Southern California? That's a bit more complicated.

Bay Area Quake: A magnitude-4.1 earthquake shook the Bay Area yesterday. The quake ruptured on the Calaveras Fault line.

Sri Lanka Monsoons: Heavy monsoons have flooded large areas of Sri Lanka. More than 800,000 people are affected by the floods.

Snow Day: In Atlanta, 4 inches of snow covered the city. The snowstorm was the South's second in the last two weeks.

Previously on Our Daily Planet: Southern Snow Storm and Small Glaciers Disappearing

Reach OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel at bisrael@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @btisrael.

Brett Israel was a staff writer for Live Science with a focus on environmental issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from The University of Georgia, a master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and has studied doctorate-level biochemistry at Emory University.