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.

  • Earthquake swarm rattles Central Volcanic Region of New Zealand

    Located in the Central Volcanic Region, the town of Kawerau in New Zealand has been hit by a series of earthquakes since March 17, 2023, with a tally of over 780 quakes. Of these, six earthquakes have registered magnitudes above M4.0. The seismic activity has caused noticeable shaking in the region, with the most substantial earthquake having a magnitude of M4.8, while the majority of the quakes have been rated between M2.0 and M2.9.

  • Very strong M6.8 earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador

    A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS and IGEPN as M6.7 hit Ecuador at 17:12 UTC on March 18, 2023. IGEPN is reporting a depth of 37 km (23 miles); USGS 66.4 km (41 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.7 at a depth of 80 km (50 miles).

  • G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storming due to CH HSS effects combined with CME

    Our planet is under the influence of a positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) today, March 15, 2023, combined with an impact from the coronal mass ejection (CME) produced on March 10. G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storm threshold was reached at 05:59 UTC and the geomagnetic field is likely to reach G1 – Minor geomagnetic storming levels, with a chance for isolated G2 – Moderate periods on March 15 and 16 due to any flanking effects from CMEs produced on March 11 to 13.

  • Major Nor’easter triggers snow, wind, and disruptions in northeastern U.S.

    A powerful Nor’easter is wreaking havoc across parts of the northeastern United States, with heavy snowfall, strong winds, and coastal flooding leading to travel disruptions and widespread power outages. The storm is expected to impact the region from northeast Pennsylvania to southern Maine through tonight.

  • Almost 1 million Californians without power amid second atmospheric river impact in a week

    California is grappling with the effects of a second atmospheric river in just one week, as heavy rainfall and high-elevation snow continue to pummel the state on March 14, 2023. The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned of a high risk for excessive rainfall today, with the storm expected to persist into Wednesday, further exacerbating the potential for widespread flooding.

  • Asteroid 2023 EN flew past Earth at 0.3 LD

    A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 EN flew past Earth at a distance of 0.3 LD / 0.00091 (136 134 km / 84 589 miles) from the center of our planet at 11:25 UTC on March 9, 2023.