Research – The Watchers

U.S. West flood risk increases sharply with wet soils during atmospheric river storms

Reet Kaur — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:15:00 +0000

Wet antecedent soil moisture increased streamflow magnitudes by 2--4.5 times during atmospheric river storms across 122 U.S. West Coast watersheds between 1980 and 2023, according to a new analysis. The study, published in the Journal of Hydrometeorology on June 4, 2025, establishes a nonlinear threshold effect in soil moisture, above which flood response to atmospheric rivers increases sharply.

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Deep Earth pulses detected beneath Afar rift where Africa is slowly splitting apart

Harsh Vardhan — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 02:07:00 +0000

Scientists have detected rhythmic pulses of hot mantle material rising from deep beneath East Africa’s Afar rift system — a region where the continent is gradually breaking apart along three tectonic rift arms. Based on over 130 volcanic rock samples, the study shows that the mantle upwelling is compositionally varied and shaped by differences in crustal thickness and spreading rates across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Main Ethiopian rifts.

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Stealthy magma system explains lack of warning signals at Veniaminof volcano, Alaska

Harsh Vardhan — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 08:56:59 +0000

Veniaminof volcano in Alaska frequently erupts with little to no detectable precursory ground movement or seismic activity. A new study analyzing the 2018 eruption with thermomechanical models demonstrates that eruptions can occur with minimal warning when deep, low-flux magma systems are surrounded by thermally softened rock.

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Study challenges conventional understanding of mantle gas migration

Harsh Vardhan — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 12:54:34 +0000

A recent study published in Nature Geoscience shows the presence of mantle-derived noble gases in the Palouse Basin Aquifer, which is part of the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer system in eastern Washington and Idaho. Despite the region’s lack of active volcanism, helium and argon isotope measurements revealed a deep mantle source. The results suggest that noble gases can migrate through stable continental crust even in the absence of active volcanic or tectonic processes.

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Rising hydrogen sulfide emissions threaten communities around the Salton Sea, California

Harsh Vardhan — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:20:55 +0000

The Salton Sea in California has been shrinking steadily since 2003, leading to a rise in toxic hydrogen sulfide gas emissions. A recent study found that these emissions frequently exceed safety limits, especially in communities along the lake’s shoreline, putting residents’ health at increasing risk.

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Mega tsunamis in Greenland fjord confirmed as source of nine-day global seismic signal

Harsh Vardhan — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:39:19 +0000

A persistent, ultra-low frequency seismic vibration was detected worldwide in September 2023 and traced to Dickson Fjord, East Greenland, after two large landslides triggered tsunamis and a long-lasting seiche. For the first time, researchers directly observed this standing wave using NASA's SWOT satellite mission, providing new insights into the connection between global seismic signals and surface water motion in remote coastal environments.

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Hidden asteroids in Venus’ orbit pose impact risk to Earth

Harsh Vardhan — Wed, 28 May 2025 09:03:35 +0000

New research suggests we may be overlooking a population of asteroids quietly orbiting alongside Venus. Though rarely observed, these co-orbitals could drift into Earth-crossing paths and pose a real impact threat. New simulations highlight the gaps in current detection efforts and make a strong case for space-based surveys near Venus.

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Auroras on Jupiter flash in seconds, defying old models

Harsh Vardhan — Sun, 25 May 2025 12:13:00 +0000

The largest planet in the solar system is putting on a show no telescope has fully caught before. New data from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the gas giant’s auroras flickering in bursts measured in seconds, not minutes. Scientists now face fresh questions about where that power comes from.

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Damaged crust beneath Campi Flegrei linked to uplift and seismicity

Harsh Vardhan — Sun, 25 May 2025 10:41:36 +0000

A study of Campi Flegrei’s crust has uncovered a damaged rock layer underground that may be driving the volcano’s long-running unrest. The zone, weakened by older magma intrusions, now appears to trap gas rising from deeper sources. This buildup of underground pressure could explain both the steady ground uplift and the swarms of small quakes recorded since 2005.

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Experiment confirms electric power generation from Earth’s rotation

Harsh Vardhan — Sat, 24 May 2025 07:23:19 +0000

Researchers from Princeton University have experimentally demonstrated that Earth’s rotation through its magnetic field can generate electric power. The findings support a theoretical model that challenges long-standing assumptions about the impracticality of harvesting rotational energy from Earth’s magnetic field.

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