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.
New activity/unrest was reported for 4 volcanoes from August 26 to September 1, 2020. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 19 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Langila, New Britain (Papua New Guinea) | Manam, Papua New Guinea | Raung, Eastern Java…
In a new study published recently in the journal Temperature, Prof. Valentina Zharkova demonstrates that the Sun has entered into the modern Grand Solar Minimum (2020 – 2053) that will lead to a significant reduction of the solar magnetic field and activity like…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit near the coast of Atacama, Chile at 21:09 UTC (16:09 LT) on September 1, 2020, at a depth of 14 km (8.7 miles). EMSC is reporting it as M6.5 at a depth of 2 km (1.2 miles). This is an aftershock of a…
Tropical Storm "Omar" formed at 21:00 UTC on September 1, 2020, as the earliest 15th named storm in the Atlantic Ocean. The previous record was set by Ophelia on September 7, 2005. The storm is moving away from the coast and is expected to be short-lived….
Tropical Storm "Nana" formed at 16:05 UTC on September 1, 2020, as the earliest 14th named storm in the Atlantic Ocean on record. The previous record was set by Nate on September 6, 2005. At the time it formed, Nana's center was about 195 km (120…
Typhoon "Maysak" became the strongest typhoon of the year on August 31, 2020, with its eye passing very close to Kume Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The storm is moving towards the Korean Peninsula, with landfall expected near Busan, South Korea on…
A new massive sinkhole opened up last week in the Russian Yamal Peninsula, with blocks of soil and ice thrown hundreds of meters from the hole. This is the 17th — and considered the largest — such sinkhole to form in the Yamal Peninsula since the phenomenon was…
A violent storm hit Mallorca, Spain's largest island over the weekend, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, hail, and a damaging tornado on August 29, 2020. Regional government's emergency department officials said they've recorded 101 incidents on August…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.8 hit Atacama, Chile at 04:09 UTC on September 1, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 23 km (14.3 miles). EMSC is reporting it as M6.7 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was located 78.3…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit the Chagos Archipelago region, Indian Ocean at 17:24 UTC on August 31, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. The epicenter was…
