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!
Russia's Sheveluch, one of the biggest volcanic structures in Kamchatka, erupted at 21:50 UTC on December 9, 2016, sending ash up to 11 km (36 000 feet) above sea level. The aviation color code was briefly raised to Red. According to KVERT VONA released 23:55…
A geomagnetic storm is currently in progress due to ongoing negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) influence. The G1 Watch is in effect for the next three days. Geomagnetic K-index of 5 (G1 – Minor geomagnetic storm) threshold was first reached at…
A thunderstorm that formed near the Sydney CBD late Thursday, December 8, 2016 created a spectacular lightshow, with thousands of bolts striking in many directions. After a hot and clear day of 31 °C (87.8 °F) temperatures, the skies suddenly turned black as…
A shallow earthquake registered by the EMSC as M4.8 hit near Split, Croatia at 12:57 UTC (13:57 CET) on December 9, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). GFZ Croatia is reporting M4.6 at the same depth (intensity VI – Strong). The epicenter was…
A powerful earthquake measuring M7.8 hit just off the coast of Makira island (San Cristobal), Solomon Islands at 17:38 UTC on December 8, 2016, causing damage and triggering a small tsunami. There are reports of collapsed buildings and landslides it the most…
A powerful earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.8 hit near the coast of Solomon Islands at 17:38 UTC (04:38 local time) on December 8, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 41 km (25.4 miles). Geoscience Australia is reporting M8.1 at a depth of 35 km (21.7…
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New activity was reported for 5 volcanoes between November 30 and December 7, 2016. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 8 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Cerro Hudson, Chile | Chirinkotan, Kuril Islands (Russia) | Copahue, Central…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit off the coast of Northern California at 14:49 UTC on December 8, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was located 148.5 km (92.3 miles) W of Capetown (population…
Average Arctic sea ice extent for November set a record low, reflecting unusually high air temperatures, winds from the south, and a warm ocean, NSIDC reports. Since October, Arctic ice extent has been more than two standard deviations lower than the long-term…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the CENC as M6.2 hit northern China's Hutubi County, Changji Prefecture at 05:15 UTC (13:15 CST) on December 8, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 6 km (3.7 miles). USGS is reporting M5.9 at a depth of 13.7 km…
