• Elevated volcanic activity observed at Karymsky, Russia

    Karymsky volcano, Kamchatka is showing signs of elevated activity. Several explosions over the last couple of days have sent ash plumes rising to 5.5 km (18 000 feet) above the crater, the Tokyo VAAC reported. Karymsky volcano is one of the few continually active…

  • Strong explosion at Momotombo volcano, Nicaragua

    After 110 years of being dormant, Momotombo volcano, Nicaragua, seems to have become fairly active over the last two months. The latest eruption occurred on January 12, 2016 (local time), Volcano Discovery reported. A strong explosion at 12:10 (local time) sent an…

  • Rising rivers inundate north and central Portugal

    Portugal's Porto and Coimbra districts reported flooding after the rivers Douro, Mondego and Tamega overflew their banks in the period between January 10 and 11, 2016. A spell of heavy rainfall accompanied with strong winds affected the north and central parts…

  • Hurricane “Pali” becomes record-breaking

    At 03:00 UTC on January 12, Tropical Storm "Pali", which formed on January 8, reached hurricane strength and thus became the earliest hurricane on record in the central Pacific basin, far to the southwest of Hawaii. "After exhibiting a rather…

  • Heavy snowfall causing major traffic troubles in Finland

    Heavy snowfall blanketed parts of Finland on January 12, 2016. Huge amounts of snow, blizzard conditions and cold temperatures caused traffic disruptions, closures and delays across the country. The large snowstorm that hit southern and central Finland caused…

  • Recent advancements in mapping the world’s oceans

    The scientists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, New York, have gathered data from hundreds of research cruises and made a significant contribution to providing easily accessible ocean floor maps to interested people across the globe. The mapping site is capable…