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!

  • Rare snowfall, cold wave in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz deals blow to agriculture, kills cattle

    ByTW

    An unexpected wave of snow, ice and heavy rain has hit Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s largest agricultural region last week, causing widespread damage to crops and leading to the death of cattle. The cold front extended beyond Santa Cruz, with record-breaking temperatures of -9 °C (15.8 °F) recorded in the north of the country. Notably, temperatures also took a steep dive in the southern wine-producing department of Tarija, a critical area for Bolivia’s viticulture industry.

  • First observation of a polar cyclone on Uranus

    ByTW

    NASA scientists have confirmed the presence of a polar cyclone at the north pole of Uranus. The data, gathered between 2015 and 2022 using the Very Large Array in New Mexico, revealed warmer and drier air circulating below the planet’s clouds, a key indicator of cyclonic activity. The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters.

  • Dual magma chambers discovered beneath Great Sitkin volcano, Alaska

    ByTW

    A study conducted by scientists at Purdue University reveals that the Great Sitkin volcano, one of the most active in Alaska, has two magma chambers. This discovery explains the changing locations of seismic activity that has perplexed scientists since the volcano began erupting in May 2021.

  • Continental plates more unstable than previously thought

    ByTW

    A revolutionary research study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign disputes the decades-old conventional understanding of the Earth’s continental plates. The study posits that the Earth’s ‘stable cratons’—previously thought to be immovable regions of continental plates—have experienced repeated deformations beneath their crust since their formation.

  • A surprising discovery at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy

    ByTW

    An international research team has unveiled a surprising discovery at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. Under the leadership of Northwestern University’s Farhad Yusef-Zadeh, the scientists discovered a new type of filament near Sagittarius A*, our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole. This marks a significant departure from the vertical filaments previously known to science.

  • Unconventional birth of Geminid meteor shower unearthed by Parker Solar Probe

    ByTW

    The Geminid meteor shower, one of the most spectacular yearly celestial events, was likely created by a sudden and violent occurrence, according to new findings by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission. These findings, published recently in The Planetary Science Journal, provide fresh insights into the origins of this meteor stream which, unlike most, emanates from an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon.

  • Record-breaking June snowfall on Mt. Washington, U.S.

    ByTW

    Mt. Washington observed a record-breaking snowfall in June 2023, setting a new record with 21.34 cm (8.4 inches) of snow halfway through the month, shattering its 91-year-old average of 3.3 cm (1.3 inches).