The Watchers team and our contributors bring the latest on extreme weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, space weather, and all things science. We're all about making sense of the natural world and keeping you informed on what’s happening. Got a tip or a question? Hit us up using the form at newstips!
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit near Shemya Island, Alaska at 09:23 UTC on December 3, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 26.9 km (16.7 miles). The epicenter was located 46.1 km (28.6 miles) ESE of Siksatok (population 0),…
This animation shows every recorded earthquake in sequence as they occurred from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2015, at a rate of 30 days per second. This time period includes some remarkable events. Several large earthquakes caused devastating tsunamis,…
New Zealand's GeoNet said today they have identified 150 landslide dams after M7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake and an estimated 80 000 to 100 000 landslides triggered by the main event and its aftershocks. "With the M7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake, landslides and land…
The last of three supermoons for this year will occur on December 14. Over the nights following December 14, the Moon will rise around an hour later each day, becoming prominent later in the night. Within a few days, it will only be visible in the pre-dawn and…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit Peru at 22:40 UTC on December 1, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 3.6 km (2.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.2 at a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles). According to the USGS, the epicenter was located…
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New activity was reported for 4 volcanoes between November 23 and 29, 2016. Ongoing activity was reported for 7 volcanoes during the same period. New activity/unrest: Chirinkotan, Kuril Islands (Russia) | Copahue, Central Chile-Argentina border | Rotorua, North…
A destructive tornado swept through the Spanish town of Palos de la Frontera during the afternoon hours of December 1, 2016. The tornado caused substantial damage, but there were no reports of injuries. According to media reports, the tornado formed around 17:45…
A team of scientists led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that small, 30 cm (1 foot), meteotsunamis happen more than 100 times per year on the Great Lakes, while larger ones of nearly 90 cm (3 feet) occur once per year on average. The timing of most…
The Atlantic, eastern Pacific and central Pacific 2016 hurricane season have officially ended on November 30, and NOAA scientists said all three regions saw above-normal seasons. For the Atlantic, this was the first above-normal season since 2012 with 15 named…
Around 11:00 local time on November 30, 2016, amidst tornado watches and waterspout reports in the area, a very large waterspout formed off the coast of Miramar Beach near Destin, Florida. It crossed the beach and moved inland, dissolved and reformed again. Winds it…
