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 large glowing spiral appeared in the night sky over parts of Western Europe on March 24, 2025, following the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket for the NROL-69 mission. The phenomenon, which captivated observers across the continent, was caused by frozen exhaust released from the rocket’s second stage during its deorbit burn.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.7 hit near the coast of South Island, New Zealand at 01:43 UTC (14:43 local time) on March 25, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 21 km (13 miles). New Zealand’s GeoNet is reporting M6.8 at a depth of 12 km (7.5 miles), and EMSC M7.0 at a depth of 9 km (5.6 miles).
A rapid increase in volcanic tremor was recorded at Mount Etna, Italy on March 24, 2025, followed by explosive activity at the Southeast Crater. The eruption occurred after tremor levels rose significantly, prompting authorities to raise the Aviation Color Code to Red at 10:18 UTC.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the Sun on March 21, 2025, is expected to impact Earth early on March 23, prompting a G3 – Strong geomagnetic storm watch issued by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). The CME was associated with an M1.2 solar flare from Region 4028 at 15:34 UTC.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit near Adak, Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska at 14:53 UTC on March 21, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 26 km (16 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.2 at a depth of 30 km (18 miles).
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit south of Panama at 14:50 UTC on March 21, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
A major eruption took place at Indonesia’s Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano on March 20, 2025, ejecting ash up to 16.2 km (53 000 feet) above sea level.
New activity/unrest was reported for 8 volcanoes from March 12–18, 2025. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 4 volcanoes.
Severe flash floods hit north Queensland on March 19, 2025, after over 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain fell over parts of the region, inundating homes and roads. The worst affected areas were Ingham and Townsville, where more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 8 hours.
Severe wildfires fueled by high winds and dry conditions burned across Oklahoma in mid-March 2025, destroying over 400 homes and scorching more than 68 800 ha (170 000 acres) of land. The fires, which began intensifying on March 14, have killed at least four people and injured 142, prompting Governor Kevin Stitt to declare a state of emergency across 12 counties.
