I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
An impulsive explosion from the Bocca Nuova crater at Mount Etna, Italy, generated a short-lived ash emission at 13:12 LT (12:12 UTC) on March 4, 2026. Surveillance cameras recorded the ash plume dispersing quickly toward the eastern side of the volcano. The eruption followed an earthquake swarm on Mount Etna’s southwestern flank earlier in the day, which included a notable ML4.5 earthquake.
Thick Saharan dust from North Africa covered parts of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and neighboring countries on March 4, 2026, producing hazy skies, orange deposits, and moderate-to-poor air quality. Forecasts show the plume spreading toward central Europe before dispersing after March 6.
Heavy rainfall on March 3, 2026, triggered a destructive volcanic mudflow on Mount Merapi’s Kali Senowo channel in Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, sweeping away at least three trucks and one car.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit near Simeulue, Indonesia, at 04:56 UTC (11:56 local time) on March 3, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 26.2 km (16 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
A deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit the Fiji region at 05:44 UTC on March 1, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 596 km (370 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Prolonged rainfall and cross-border inflows have triggered a state of emergency across northeastern Greece, where severe flooding along the Evros River in February 2026 submerged tens of thousands of acres of farmland and destroyed wheat, barley, lentil, and alfalfa crops. No fatalities have been confirmed, but authorities warn of extensive economic losses for the region’s farm sector.
A Bolivian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crashed while landing at El Alto International Airport on February 27, 2026, killing at least 15 people and injuring 28. Authorities said the plane overran the runway during intense hail and lightning activity that severely reduced visibility over the high-altitude airport.
Satellite measurements from 2014 to 2025 show that the northern hemisphere’s strongest magnetic field region is shifting from Canada toward Siberia as the Canadian lobe weakens and the Siberian lobe intensifies. The redistribution is directly linked to the continued eastward drift of the north magnetic pole, now moving at about 36 km/h (22 mph), and requires updates to global navigation models. Over the same 11-year interval, the southern hemisphere’s strong-field region between Australia and Antarctica remained largely stable.
A total lunar eclipse will occur at 11:33 UTC on March 3, 2026, with totality lasting 58 minutes and 19 seconds and full visibility across East Asia, Australia, the Pacific region, and western North America. This is the only total lunar eclipse of 2026.
An international research team led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has resolved how the King’s Trough Complex formed between 37 and 24 million years ago. The study shows it originated along a temporary plate boundary guided by an early branch of the Azores mantle plume.
