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 a new study by researchers from the University of Miami – Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, saharan dust played a major role in the formation of the Bahamas islands Their research showed that iron-rich Saharan dust provides the nutri
Insecticides similar to nicotine, known as neonicotinoids, were found commonly in streams throughout the Midwest, according to a new USGS study. This is the first broad-scale investigation of neonicotinoid insecticides in the Midwestern United States and one of the
Now in its third year of record-breaking drought conditions, the water-deprived state of California is reportedly beefing up its law enforcement to crack down on so-called water "abusers" who use too much. In Los Angeles, a full-time "water cop," wit
On July 23rd, 1972, the first Landsat spacecraft launched into orbit. At the time, it was called "Earth Resources Technology Satellite," or ERTS, and was the first satellite to use a scanning spectrophotometer. Previous satellites relied on film cameras (eject
In late June 2013 astronomers using Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope observed an exceptional binary containing a rapidly spinning neutron star which suddenly underwent a dramatic change in behavior. The pulsar's radio beacon vanished, while at the same time the
According to two new reportts published by the USGS, groundwater pumping has produced significant changes in water levels below some parts of the Albuquerque metropolitan area.For many decades, the water supply requirements of the Albuquerque metropolitan area in centra
Researchers at the University of East Anglia have made an important step in the race to discover whether other planets could develop and sustain life. Their new research, published yesterday in the journal Astrobiology, shows the vital role of oceans in m
Research meteorologists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Marine Meteorology Division (MMD) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, employing the Navy's Mid-Course Doppler Radar (MCR) at Cape Canaveral, were able to characterize mid-level, mixed-phase alt
A class of pesticides widely blamed for a worldwide collapse in pollinator populations is also devastating populations of birds, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands and the Centre for Field Ornithology a
A new analysis of data from the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft has revealed that comet 2012/S1 (ISON) stopped producing dust and gas shortly before it raced past the Sun and disintegrated.When comet ISON was discovered in the autumn of 201
