CME hits Earth, sparking G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storm
A coronal mass ejection (CME) produced by a large filament eruption at 05:21 UTC on April 11, 2022 reached Earth around midnight UTC on April 14, sparking G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storm.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
Massive earthquake swarm in Antarctica driven by magmatic intrusion at Orca volcano
New research published in Nature this month determined that an intense earthquake swarm at the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica was caused by the rapid transfer of magma from the Earth’s mantle near the crust-mantle boundary to almost the surface.
Earthquake swarm detected in the vicinity of Edgecumbe volcano, U.S.
m of earthquakes has been detected in the vicinity of Mount Edgecumbe volcano, beginning at about 10:00 UTC on April 11, 2022. The cause of the swarm is currently unknown. A small number of earthquakes were also recorded in 2020 but this swarm is unusual in the number of events. The last eruption of this volcano was in 2220 BCE (± 100 years).
More than 400 dead after severe floods and landslides in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
At least 443 people have been killed in severe floods and landslides affecting South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, particularly the city of Durban, since April 10, 2022. There are still dozens of people missing, and the death toll is expected to continue rising.
Earthquake swarm near the SW tip of Reykyanes Peninsula, Iceland
An earthquake swarm began yesterday evening located near the southwestern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland.The swarm began with an M3.9 earthquake and six other earthquakes with magnitude above 3.0 have been detected. Nearly 600 earthquakes have been detected since the swarm began.
At least 23 injured after a large tornado and gigantic hail hit Salado, Texas
At least 23 people were injured after a large tornado swept through the village of Salado, Texas on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, destroying or damaging 15 – 20 homes. Salado is located in Bell County, between Waco and Austin.
M6.1 earthquake hits New Britain, P.N.G.
A strong earthquake registered by the EMSC as M6.1 hit the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea at 03:00 UTC on April 13, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 156 km (96 miles). USGS is reporting it as M5.9 at a depth of 147 km (91 miles).
Subtropical Depression “Issa” forms near eastern South Africa, heavy rainfall claims at least 45 lives
Heavy rainfall continues falling over eastern South Africa, particularly over the Province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), since April 10, causing floods and landslides. On April 12, authorities reported at least 45 fatalities across the city of Durban. An unknown number of people are missing and the death toll is expected to rise.
Elevated volcanic unrest at Mt. Ruapehu, CO2 output now 2nd highest ever recorded, New Zealand
ls of volcanic unrest continue at New Zealand’s Ruapehu volcano. This is primarily manifested as strong volcanic tremor, slowly rising Crater Lake (Te Wai ā-moe) temperatures and high gas outputs. These changes indicate magma may now be driving the unrest, increasing the chances of further activity. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2.
March inflation in the U.S. likely set a new 40-year high
Inflation in the United States in March 2022 has likely set yet another 40-year high. The country has sees ever-rising costs for food, gasoline, housing and other necessities, threatening the economy.
