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!
According to research published on March 1, 2016, Zika virus might cause Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a severe neurological disorder. Zika virus infection is associated with symptoms such as fever, rash, joint and muscle pain and conjunctivitis. The…
A newly discovered asteroid named 2016 DV1 is expected to make a very close flyby of Earth on March 3, 2016. 2016 DV1 is an Apollo class asteroid discovered on February 28, 2016. Its estimated size is between 28 and 62 meters (92 to 203 feet), which is about twice…
Award winning photographer and self-proclaimed adventure seeker Bradley Ambrose from Auckland, New Zealand recently ventured into treacherous Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help assist a team of Japanese scientists. Nyiragongo volcano has…
In this video, scientists from New Zealand's GeoNet report the results of their monitoring of cliff collapses, liquefaction and tectonic deformation around Christchurch following the M5.7 earthquake of February 14, 2016, also known as the Valentines Day 2016…
Residents of Forest Grove, Oregon are reporting a loud alarm-like sounds randomly ringing near Gales Creek Road. The noise was first heard three weeks ago. For KOIN 6, Paula Lynch and her neighbor, who asked that her name not be used, described the sound as loud and…
USGS scientists have found algal toxins known as microcystins in 39% of streams assessed in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The results will become part of a larger, systematic national survey of algal toxins in small streams of the…
The preponderance of evidence from the earliest written texts testifies to a radically different solar system in relatively recent times. In fact, it is possible to document that globally attested traditions of previous World Ages, lost “suns,” and…
The Sun is always changing and NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is always watching. Launched on February 11, 2010, SDO keeps a 24-hour eye on the entire disk of the Sun, with a prime view of the graceful dance of solar material coursing through the Sun's…
The central United States is experiencing an unprecedented surge in earthquakes that began in 2009, rising from an average of 21 magnitude 3 and larger quakes to over 650 in 2014 alone. This increased earthquake activity is found in just a few concentrated regions…
According to a report published by the USGS on February 1, 2016, our planet experienced a total of 14 588 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in 2015. While this is an average number of M4+ events per year (prior year averages are about 40 M4+ earthquakes per…
