According to USGS the 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck 361 km (224 miles) ENE of PORT-VILA, Efate, Vanuatu at 14:34:50 UTC . The epicenter was registered on depth of 23.1 km (14.4 miles). No tsunami warning was issued.
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Chillymanjaro
One of the founding fathers of The Watchers. Researcher and editor of The Watchers.
Latest articles
Research voyage reveals formation of Earth's hidden continent Zealandia
Newly published evidence reveals that Earth's hidden continent Zealandia-- which stretches across 5 million km2 (2 million mi2) beneath the southwest Pacific Ocean-- was shaped by two tectonic events. First, it was ripped away from Australia and Antarctica and...
Galactic cosmic rays affect atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan, research finds
A team of Japanese researchers-- using data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)-- discovered that galactic cosmic rays affect the chemical reactions involved in the formation of organic molecules bearing nitrogen on the atmosphere of...
Scientists entangle quantum memories over 50 km (31 miles), bringing super-secure quantum internet closer to reality
Scientists were able to get two quantum memories entangled over 50 km (31 miles) of fiber optic cables-- over 40 times the past record-- bringing the idea of faster and super-secure quantum internet more possible. Quantum communication depends on quantum...
ESO telescope captures mysterious dimming of Betelgeuse
The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) has captured the unusual dimming of Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in Orion constellation. The images of the star's surface not only show it losing luminosity but also its shape...
WHO mission gets underway as COVID-19 death toll passes 1 770
Specialists from the World Health Organization (WHO) have started meetings with their Chinese counterparts on dealing with the coronavirus disease-- now officially called COVID-19-- which has so far officially killed 1 776 people. The number of infected with the...
Bright green fireball over Malaysia and Singapore
A very bright fireball described to be green in color was seen streaking through the sky over Malaysia and Singapore on February 11, 2020. According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the meteor was spotted around 05:01 LT on February 12 (February 11 at 21:01...
Asteroid 2020 CQ2 flew past Earth at 0.39 LD
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2020 CQ2 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.39 LD / 0.00099 AU (148 101 km / 92 026 miles) at 02:19 UTC on February 14, 2020. This is the 14th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year...
Storm Dennis enters history books as the second-strongest North Atlantic extratropical cyclone, causes major flooding in the United Kingdom
Storm Dennis hit several western European countries over the weekend with very heavy rain and hurricane-force winds. Minimum central air pressure of 920 hPa was recorded on Saturday, February 15, making it the second-strongest North Atlantic extratropical cyclone...
Series of small explosions and tremor bursts at Semisopochnoi volcano, alerts raised
A series of small explosions and tremor bursts have been detected in seismic data at Semisopochnoi over the past 7 hours and are continuing, representing a significant uptick in activity, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) reported at 09:19 UTC on February 15,...
239 million people in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from hunger and malnutrition
The hunger and malnutrition crisis in sub-Saharan Africa is increasing at an alarming rate, with now about 239 million people suffering, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The organization discussed key targets to combat the...
Arctic sea ice sees drastic recovery, reaches largest early February ice extent in 11 years
The arctic sea ice has reached its largest early February ice extent in 11 years, surpassing the average size from 2001 to 2010. The recovery is a result of a strong polar vortex. Sea ice analysis indicated that during this rather mild winter in the middle...
Tropical Cyclone "Francisco" makes landfall south of Toamasina, Madagascar
Tropical Cyclone "Francisco" re-formed in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, on February 13, 2020, after weakening below tropical cyclone status on February 6. Francisco made landfall at 18:00 UTC on February 14 over the southeast coast of the...
Freezing temperatures hit Saudi Arabia in worst cold wave since 2016
Temperatures in Saudi Arabia dropped below freezing level this week as the worst cold wave since 2016 persists in parts of the country. The capital city of Riyadh recorded frigid temperatures, leaving the streets almost empty on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 11...
At least 50 homes destroyed, 21 dead as series of avalanches strike Afghanistan, death toll expected to rise
A series of avalanches killed at least 21 people in Afghanistan's Daykundi province, authorities confirmed on Friday, February 14, 2020. The death toll is feared to climb as severe weather conditions hamper rescue efforts. Ahmad Tameem Azimi, a spokesman of the...
Massive North Atlantic cyclone challenging all-time intensity records, Iceland issues red weather alerts
A powerful North Atlantic cyclone forced the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) to issue a red weather alert for southern Iceland, in effect through the first half on February 14, 2020. Violent and dangerous wind gusts may exceed 200 km/h (124 mph) in some areas. Residents...
Severe hailstorm hits South China's Guangdong province
A severe hailstorm hit multiple cities in South China's Guangdong province on Thursday, February 13, 2020. Among the places hit by hail were Zhanjiang, Maoming, and Zhuhai where temperatures, in particular, were warm at 21 °C (69.8 °F). Photos and videos...
Floods and landslides hit Bolivia, causing widespread destruction
At least eight people lost their lives as heavy rains continue to lash parts of Bolivia, civil defense authorities confirmed on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The severe weather also triggered floods and landslides, causing widespread destruction. 250 families have...