The Watchers

Strong, very dangerous, shallow and deadly earthquake with magnitude 6.0 struck Northen Italy on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 02:02 UTC according to USGS. Epicenter location was 36 km (22 miles) NNW of Bologna, Italy (44.800°N, 11.192°E). Recorded depth by USGS was 5.1 km (3.2 miles). The heavy shaking lasted about 20 seconds. EMSC recorded magnitude 6.1 with depth of 10km. A series of strong aftershocks followed. The earthque happened in the heavily populated triangle Mantua,  Ferrara Modena…

An interplanetary shock wave possibly associated with the M5-class solar flare of May 17th swept past Earth on May 20th around 02:00 UTC according to SpaceWeather. The shock’s arrival caused geomagnetic activity around the poles, and several outbreaks of high-latitude auroras. Click the following LINK to watch the latest CME forecast model run. 3-day Solar-Geophysical Forecast issued May 20 22:00 UTC by NOAA/SWPC Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be at predominately low levels for the next three days (21…

The knife-shaped fish are reported to be multiplying in Laguna Lake where they are displacing the native species, according to Asis Perez, head of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The Philippine fisheries chief on Sunday said he had ordered a study into a foreign species called the “knife fish” that was posing a threat to the local fishing industry at the country’s largest lake. Militant fisherfolk group, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya)…

Aftershocks are continuing to strike Northern Italy. More than 70 have been recorded after magnitude 6.0 earthquake at 02:03 UTC. INGV has announced that they cannot rule out another severe aftershock. The situation will be at least unstable for a limited number of days. Magnitude 4.4. struck at 17:37 UTC. Magnitude 5.2 aftershock struck the epicenter area at 13:18 UTC (15:18 local time). It was very close to Ferrara, much closer than the mainshock.  At 10:12 UTC magnitude 4.5,…

Fuego volcano in Guatemala had one of its most explosive and vigorous eruptions in years over the weekend. The volcano, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, erupted about 2:45 a.m. (07:45 GMT) on Saturday, May 19, 2012, spewing a column of ash up to 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) above the crater and launching burning red lava nearly 1,300 feet (400 meters) high. The national emergency commission issued an advisory, warning planes not to fly…

Strong aftershock, magnitude 5.2 earthquake, struck Northern Italy at 13:18:02 UTC just hours after deadly 6.0 quake. The epicenter was located 14 km west of Ferrara. The closest villages are Mirabello (3km on the west) and Bondeno (7km on the south). EMSC recorded depth of 2km. Italian National Seismic Network 

India is experiencing a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of varying intensity are expected to stalk north-west India and parts of east and east-central India. The worst hit region is northeast with unofficial reports about 41 deaths from heat-related illness. Indian government confirmed only two deaths at this point. The worst of the heat wave has been felt across Odisha, while Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have also felt the effects of this latest heat wave, which include…

An annular solar eclipse will be visible from a 240 to 300 kilometre-wide track that traverses eastern Asia, the northern Pacific Ocean and the western United States. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbral shadow, that includes much of Asia, the Pacific and the western 2/3 of North America. This is a morning event in Asia on May 21st. The Moon will pass in front of the Sun but because…