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!
An unprecedented spike in a rare phenomenon called "thunderstorm asthma" was reported in Melbourne, Australia on November 21, 2016 after wild storms swept through the region, abruptly ending one of the city's hottest days of the year. By the day's…
GNS scientists made field observations of Kekerengu Fault rupture following the Kaikoura Earthquake and the fault scarp and uplifted coastal platform at Waipapa Bay above the Papatea Fault. The Kekerengu Fault is one of the several faults that ruptured during the…
A very strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M7.3 (upgraded from M7.3) hit near the east coast of Honshu, Japan at 20:59 UTC on November 21, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 25 km (15.5 miles). USGS is reporting M6.9 (downgraded from M7.3)…
A late-season tropical storm formed on November 21, 2016, and was named Otto. Otto formed from Tropical Depression 16 (System 90L), a tropical low pressure that had been lingering in the Caribbean Sea for days. Otto is currently a stationary system but is expected…
The explosive activity at Guatemalan Fuego volcano has intensified since November 19, 2016 and has generated at least one 300 m (984 feet) high lava fountain, feeding three new lava flows. This is the 15th paroxysm at the volcano this year. The Washington VAAC…
A large pumice raft was found floating to the west of Minerva Reef in an area about 600 km (372 miles) SE of Fiji and 500 km (310 miles) SW of Tonga, New Zealand's GeoNet reported today. Pumice rafts are created by submarine or near-ocean volcanic activity. The…
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.4 hit San Juan, Argentina at 20:57 UTC on November 20, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 115.8 km (72 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.4 at a depth of 116 km. The epicenter was located 10.7 km (6.7 miles) SSW of…
A major eruption took place at Zhupanovsky volcano, Kamchatka, Russia at 02:30 UTC on November 20, 2016. Aviation Color Code was raised to Orange. At 02:39 UTC today, KVERT reported that a major eruption took place at Zhupanovsky volcano with ash plume, according to…
A large sinkhole has opened up on a highway near Ben Aknoun, a commune of Algiers Province and a suburb of the city of Algiers in northern Algeria, on November 18, 2016. Five cars fell into the hole, injuring a total of 11 people. According to the Nassim Bernaoui,…
At least 4 workers have been killed and 12 still remain trapped underground after a massive landlide hit Madenköy copper mine in Turkey's southeastern Siirt province late November 17, 2016. The death toll is expected to rise. Yasin Aktay, Siirt deputy of…
