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!
A new study published in Science Advances by René M. Van Westen, Michael Kliphuis, and Henk A. Dijkstra on February 9, 2024, unveils a physics-based early warning signal indicating the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is on a tipping course towards collapse.
A recent study published in the Planetary Science Journal by T. R. Watters and colleagues in 2024 highlights the contractional deformation and associated seismicity at the lunar south pole, particularly within the de Gerlache Rim 2 Artemis III candidate landing region, raising concerns for future robotic and human exploration.
A heavy snowstorm hit Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan (population 1 million), on February 8, 2024, causing decreased road visibility and paralyzing city operations.
California, still reeling from a historic atmospheric river that left nine people dead and hundreds of mudslides, faces a new threat from a fast-moving storm.
A group of geoscientists have recently challenged the conventional understanding of continental formation by presenting evidence that the origins of continents can be explained by internal geological forces alone, without initiating plate tectonics. The study highlights the role of oceanic plateaus in the early Earth’s crustal development.
The death toll from landslides and floods caused by torrential rain in the southern Philippines has reached 14, as reported on Saturday, February 3, 2024. The severe weather has affected parts of Mindanao, the country’s second-largest island, leading to tens of thousands seeking refuge in emergency shelters. Davao de Oro, a province known for its gold mining, has been particularly hard-hit, with 10 fatalities in recent days due to relentless rain.
Intense wildfires in central Chile have resulted in at least 112 fatalities, hundreds missing and the destruction of thousands of homes as of early Monday, February 5, 2024. A state of emergency has been declared in response to the crisis, with fires continuing to spread through densely populated areas. Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Interior Minister Carolina Tohá highlighted the severity of the situation, noting the challenges posed by 92 active fires amid unusually high temperatures and the impact of the El Niño weather pattern.
China’s meteorological authority issued the country’s first orange alert for freezing since 2010 on February 1, 2024, signaling expanding and intensifying freezing rain and snow. The severe weather, affecting areas from Henan to Chongqing, poses significant challenges to transportation in central China amidst the Spring Festival travel rush.
Icelanders build massive dykes to protect against lava flows from reactivated volcanoes near Reykjavik. The six volcanic systems, active for the first time in nearly 800 years, pose a significant threat to the Reykjanes peninsula, prompting around-the-clock construction efforts to safeguard homes and a crucial power plant.
Þorvaldur Þórðarson, a volcanology professor at the University of Iceland, suggests that recent earthquakes in the Reykjanes Peninsula could indicate magma accumulation under Húsfellsbruna, raising concerns about potential lava flows near Reykjavík.
