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.
Increased underwater volcanic activity was detected at the Ahyi Seamount, Northern Mariana Islands on May 21, 2023, leading to the Aviation Color Code and Volcano Alert Level being raised to Yellow/Advisory.
A strong aftershock registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit southeast of Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia at 06:41 UTC on May 23, 2023, at a depth of 12.1 km (7.5 miles).
Intense eruptive activity continues at Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano, with large volcanic ash emissions reaching 9.7 km (32 000 feet) above sea level at 03:36 UTC on May 21, 2023.
A very bright fireball exploded over northern Queensland, Australia at around 11:24 UTC (21:24 LT) on May 20, 2023, producing a loud sonic boom.
Activity at Italy’s Etna volcano increased on May 6, 2023, after nearly 2 months of quiescence. The activity further increased on May 21, producing a new paroxysm and resulting in a temporary suspension of flight operations at Catania Airport.
Eruptive activity at Nyamulagira volcano, Democratic Republic of Congo increased on May 17, 2023, leading to lava flows in the Virunga National Park. While the lava flows pose no danger to the population, the volcano is emitting large quantities of gas and fine particles.
Tropical Cyclone “Mawar” formed on May 19, 2023, SSW of Chuuk Islands as the second named storm of the 2023 Pacific typhoon season. On May 21, Mawar became the season’s first typhoon. The latest forecast track shows a westward bend in the vicinity of the Marianas with passage near or over Guam and Rota where a Typhoon Warning is now in effect.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit the Solomon Islands at 15:45 UTC on May 21, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 77.8 km (48.3 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 80 km (49.7 miles).
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.8 hit the Prince Edward Islands region at 14:56 UTC on May 21, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Strong aftershocks continue after a powerful M7.7 earthquake hit southeast of Loyalty Islands at 02:57 UTC on May 19, 2023.
