• Flash flooding in Las Vegas Valley leaves man missing as storm breaks rainfall records

    ByHarsh Vardhan

    A powerful storm system drenched Southern Nevada on May 6, triggering flash flood warnings, airport delays, and a swift-water rescue in Henderson after a man was swept into a wash and disappeared. Rainfall totals shattered multiple records across the Las Vegas Valley, with Harry Reid International Airport logging the highest May rainfall in over five decades.

  • New Zealand’s Mt Hutt breaks early May snowfall record

    ByHarsh Vardhan

    Mt Hutt experienced an unusually intense snowfall from May 2 to 4, 2025, with accumulations reaching 1.2 m (48 inches). This marks a record for early May snowfall in the area, according to Mt Hutt Ski Area. The storm system also brought damaging winds and flooding to parts of the country, with power outages affecting more than 1 100 homes, particularly in the Wellington region.

  • Tectonic link found between Ontong Java Plateau and Louisville hotspot chain

    ByHarsh Vardhan

    A new study from the University of Maryland and the University of Hawaiʻi has revealed surprising connections between two major volcanic features in the Pacific. By tracing the Louisville hotspot as the source of both the Ontong Java Plateau and a series of underwater volcanoes, the researchers have uncovered fresh insights into the Pacific Ocean’s geological history. This discovery challenges old ideas and offers a clearer picture of how the seafloor and the islands above it have formed over millions of years.

  • Antarctica sees ice gain after two decades of decline

    ByHarsh Vardhan

    Antarctica has shown a rare shift in behavior, gaining ice mass between 2021 and 2023 after years of steady decline. Using satellite gravimetry, researchers tracked this anomaly and linked it to unusual precipitation rather than long-term change. The findings offer insight into the continent’s sensitivity but little certainty about what comes next.

  • First real-time observation of volcanic eruption on a mid-ocean ridge

    ByReet Kaur

    Scientists aboard the Alvin submersible witnessed an active volcanic eruption at the Tica hydrothermal vent on April 29, 2025, along the East Pacific Rise. The event, which buried a vibrant ecosystem under fresh lava, marks the first confirmed real-time observation of such an event on a mid-ocean ridge.