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.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit the Tanimbar region, Indonesia at 09:37 UTC on February 17, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 38.6 km (24 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
Authorities are investigating a possible meteorite impact in the city of Mission, south Texas, after numerous residents in the area reported an explosion that shook their homes on February 15, 2023. Our analysis points to a meteor exploding over south Texas, with some pieces surviving the atmospheric entry.
New activity/unrest was reported for 5 volcanoes from February 8 to 14, 2023. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 18 volcanoes.
Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, has experienced a record-breaking amount of snowfall in recent months.
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit the Masbate region, Philippines at 18:10 UTC on February 15, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 40 km (22.8 miles).
A slow-moving coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun on February 11, 2023, reached our planet today, causing G1 – Minor geomagnetic storming. A partial halo CME, possibly triggered by a filament eruption near Region 3220 on February 14 is forecast to impact Earth this week, which could result in disruptions to communication networks, power grids, and satellites. The timing and extent of the impact are still being analyzed.
Strong winds produced by a low pressure system moving through the United States picked up large amounts of dust from California to Oklahoma on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, creating significant reductions in visibility that resulted in multiple car crashes in which at least one person died. In some places, the visibility was reduced to zero.
A strong earthquake registered by the GeoNet as M6.3 hit Cook Strait, New Zealand at 06:38 UTC (19:38 LT) on February 15, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 50 km (31 miles). USGS is reporting it as M5.7 at a depth of 74.3 km (46 miles); EMSC M5.7 at a depth of 67 km (41 miles).
New Zealand’s North Island has been severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle over the past couple of days, with floods, landslides, and ocean swells leaving many people stranded on rooftops. The storm, which caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, also closed numerous roads, canceled hundreds of flights, and left about 225 000 people without power. At least 4 people have been killed.
South Africa has declared a National State of Disaster due to the widespread impact of floods in several provinces, which have caused the loss of lives, severe damage to infrastructure, and affected homes and businesses. The flooding was brought by heavy rain affecting the region since February 8.
